Over 1,000 passport applications have been recorded and processed on the Online Passport Application and Payment System, since its launch late last year. Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Director E-Government, Milner Makuni also said that his ministry is still conducting the old manual passport acquisition process in order to allow for a smooth transition process. “It does not need to take so long, we have provided a tracking system where you will know when you are called for interviews, where the passport is and when you are told to come and collect it,” he said.
He added that his ministry is leveraging a blockchain to enhance data protection, while at the same time ultilising the digital footprint, which is left behind as files move from person to person. He added that the process will also cut down government costs and eliminate passport agents by providing all the necessary information in relation to the process and cost of the document. The government launched the Online Passport Application and Payment System on December 17, of last year, following a public outcry on the time-consuming manual application process that sparked the debate for the need to be aligned with international standards.
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