Home Affairs Sets Record Straight E-Passports Tender

The Ministry of Home Affairs has set the record straight on the process for awarding the tender for a company to produce electronic passports.

In a statement Home Affairs Public Relations Officer Nephas Chifuta has dispelled rumours that a company had already been picked to produce passports.

FULL STATEMENT

PRESS RELEASE

TENDER FOR MIGRATION FROM MACHINE READABLE TO E-PASSPORT

The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to inform the general public that in order to improve security and conform to the international Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standard, Government is migrating from machine readable to electronic passports.

In line with this decision, a tender for technical and financial proposals for the e-passport production through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been floated. This tender seeks to solicit participation from all reputable companies with financial and technical capacity to facilitate migration from machine readable to e- passport.

The tender was floated in accordance with the Zambia Procurement regulations which guide and regulate all public procurement.

The Ministry wishes to disassociate itself from the soeculation and allegations circulating on social media relating to corruption surrounding this procurement and that this tender has already been awarded to a Belgian company as false, malicious and unfounded, and therefore, to be treated as mere speculations.

Arising from that, the Ministry urges all interested companies to respond to the solicitation before the due date for possible consideration.

Chifuta Nephas

Public Relations Officer

Ministry of Home Affairs.

29th August, 2018

LUSAKA.