Nepal wants it extended, yet again
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KATHMANDU, JUN 25 - Nepal can adopt the much-awaited Machine Readable Passport (MRP) within December if things go as planned.
Considering the pace of preparation for acquiring the smart passports, including external factors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Wednesday dispatched a letter to the Montreal-based UN body- International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) - requesting it to extend the MRP deadline until January 1, 2011.
After its attempt to meet the April 1 deadline failed for a number of reasons, the MoFA asked the international authority until August 1 for putting in place the MRP following the government decision to scrap the contract with India. It had then said a new contract would be awarded soon through another tender process.
On May 18, the ministry invited a new multi-million-dollar MRP bid from international companies asking them to submit the tender by the end of June. More than 16 firms have taken the tender copy for the purpose.
“Evaluation of bids by experts will take 15 days after receiving them. In order to be able to adopt the MRP by November end, we need to award the contract within July,” a senior MoFA official said.
The firm contracted for the service has to deliver the first consignment of MRPs after 70 days of agreement. “As per the contract, the ministry will issue the first copy of MRP after 15 days of receipt of the consignment. Weighing these time constraints, we have sought deadline extension till December 1,” the official said.
The request letter states that Nepal needs permission to issue current temporary passports for six months of issuing
the MRP since the hi-tech travel permits will be issued only from Kathmandu to begin with.
“This is for those seeking emergency passports from our missions aboard where lunching of MRP will take a minimum of six months extra,” sources said.
Initially, MRPs will not be available outside Kathmandu or at foreign missions for want of technical infrastructure and skilled human resource.
The ministry has also asked the ICAO for 10 year validity for the new passport.
Posted on: 2010-06-25 08:44
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