The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
Government has increased passport production from 60 to 1 000 per day following the delivery of essential passport consumables including passport paper, gold foil, passport covers, glue and security threads as well as a new printing machine for personalisation.
The production is expected to increase further to at least 3 000 daily as two more new personalisation machines are on their way. Plans to have day and night shifts are also underway as Government targets to clear a 340 000 passport backlog that accumulated since last year.
Government targeting to produce the first batch of at least 20 000 ePassports (biometric passport which includes a chip) as some countries will soon no longer accept the ordinary one.
Addressing the media today after touring the passport production offices at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema said new applicants will now collect their passports in a period of a month.
More to follow…
