Mutharika vows to end Malawi passport chaos

Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has pledged to restore order and credibility to Malawi’s passport system, declaring that he will not allow the “chaos of passports” to persist.

Speaking during the official opening of Parliament where he delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Mutharika said his administration will act decisively to resolve congestion, inefficiency, and public frustration in the issuance of passports.

“Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will not allow the chaos of passports to continue. We will reduce queues and congestion at the Immigration Offices. We will do that by resuming printing of passports in Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Mangochi by the end of this financial year,” said Mutharika.

He revealed that his administration has commissioned a passport production machine which will result in 500 passports being printed each day.

The President’s remarks come amid widespread concern over Malawi’s ongoing passport crisis. The Chakwera administration had terminated a multi-billion kwacha contract with UAE-based TechnoBrain Global FZE in December 2021, later awarding a new 29.9 million dollar deal to India’s Madras Security Printers (MSP).

The transition has been fraught with controversy, delays, and reports of inefficiency that have left citizens struggling to obtain valid travel documents.

MSP’s involvement has drawn public scrutiny due to the company’s controversial record in other countries. In Sri Lanka, a parliamentary committee launched an investigation after tens of thousands of liquor bottles were found bearing fake MSP security stickers.

In Kenya, MSP was implicated in a counterfeit tax stamp scandal that caused major revenue losses and allowed substandard goods to flood the market. Likewise, in South Sudan, the company was accused of securing a lucrative excise duty contract through irregular processes, resulting in significant non-oil revenue losses.

Critics in Malawi have questioned the integrity of the procurement process and raised concerns about potential national security risks linked to the contract.

Mutharika assured the nation that his administration will decentralise passport production, strengthen oversight mechanisms, and restore public confidence in the Immigration Department.

“The people of Malawi deserve a system that works, not one that frustrates them,” Mutharika said, pledging swift reforms to end years of passport-related turmoil.