Security Expert, Kaisi Fears Of a Looming Passport Crisis

Security Expert, Kaisi Fears Of a Looming Passport Crisis

A security and governance expert, Sherif Kaisi has cautioned, the country is heading towards a passport crisis due to delays to identify a new supplier of the passports after government terminated its contract with Techno Brain last year.

In an interview with Zodiak, Kaisi says the delay has opened room for more corruption as Malawians are now scrambling for passports with others allegedly conniving with officers to access the booklets.

“Running away from corruption but again, on the other hand, they will create that room for corruption because booklets of the passport will be scarce and in that case, people will be queuing to get a passport and therefore creating a chance for corruption practices,” said Kaisi.

Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) executive director, John Kapito narrates how he has been approached on several occasions with complaints by Malawi failing to access the document.

Kapito notes a proliferation of parallel systems that are allegedly conniving with officers to ease the production of the passports.

“We have also received complaints from people as a passport has become a document that everyone would want to have, we are creating corruption deliberately as a result of delays to identify a new supplier”

The immigration department however says government is doing everything possible to finalize the process of identifying a new supplier.

“The procurement process involves a lot of stakeholders to scrutinize the whole process and at the same time give feedback but we are at a very advanced stage,” said Wellington Chiponde, public relations officer for the department.

In December last year, Government terminated a contract worth MK50 billion with Techno Brain, a company that was hired to print 800, 000 passports following corruption allegations.

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Last modified on Monday, 07/02/2022

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