Kathmandu – Nepal is preparing to reduce passport distribution to just two days a week after the stock of e-passport booklets began running low, according to senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Officials say the move is being considered because the current stock would last only about one month if passports continue to be issued at the present rate. The government is expected to decide on the proposal within the next few days.
Previously, the Department of Passports distributed passports five days a week, except on public holidays.
“The passport stock has started decreasing. If we continue distributing passports at the current level of demand, the existing stock will last only for one month,” a Joint Secretary at the ministry told Kathmandu Pati. “With the objective of seeing whether we can stretch it for at least a few more months, we are preparing to distribute passports only two days a week.”
The development comes as the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is investigating alleged corruption in Nepal’s e-passport procurement process involving two German companies.
On June 16, the anti-corruption agency detained Department of Passports Director General Tirtharaj Aryal, the department’s Information Technology Director Sunil Kumar KC and other officials as part of the investigation.
Last Wednesday, the commission also issued a public notice directing representatives of Muehlbauer ID Services and Veridos to appear before it. It warned that legal action could follow if they failed to respond.
Under the procurement agreement, Muehlbauer ID Services was responsible for passport pre-enrolment, enrolment and the data management system, while Veridos handled passport personalisation, quality control and packaging.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs say the investigation has created uncertainty over future passport printing as another batch of passport booklets was due to arrive. They say passport distribution could face disruption until the existing contract is cancelled and a new procurement agreement is signed.
