By Masmina Turuju Ejidio
The Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Immigration has resumed issuing of passports and nationality identity cards after two years of shutdown.
The resumption came after the directorate received 4,400 regular passport booklets and 49,500 Nationality identity certificates.
The production of the passports and nationality cards stopped two years ago, after the country ran out of booklets for passports and Nationality.
The Director General of the Nationality, Passports and Immigration Maj. Gen Atem Marol Biar said on Tuesday that, “the 4,400 regular passports booklets together with the 49,500 NC will not be produced anyhow but only for emergency cases and to those whose data are already in the system”.
“We are giving for emergency cases like to students, sick people. Today we received 4,400 regular passports and 49,500 NC for ID for the nationality, this we have no problem, this number is big and okay with us, it will take us until the end of this year” Gen. Marol said.
He revealed that the government is planning to pay ten years’ bill in advance to the Company providing the materials.
“I know the number in the system is very big. The passport will be used for emergency for the students who are going abroad so that they may not miss their chances. The government has paid 3.4 million USD to the company for NC ID and passport and is also planning to pay an advance bill of ten years” he added.
Marol urged the citizens who aren’t travelling anywhere to be patient and give chance to serious cases.
He said, the company is producing lots of passports booklets and Nationality Identity Cards of which the country is expecting some more to arrive within this year.