By Serah Chilora & Isaac Salima:
Barely a day before the expiry of the 21-day ultimatum which President Lazarus Chakwera gave the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services to resume the issuance of passports in the country, the department Tuesday announced completion of restoration of the e-passport issuance system.
On February 21 2024, while addressing Parliament during a question-and-answer session, Chakwera said digital “mercenaries” had hacked the system and ordered the authorities to find a long-term solution to the problem within three weeks.
Through a statement released Tuesday, signed by the department’s director general Charles Kalumo, immigration officials say the restoration of the system means the issuance of passports has resumed.
“The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services wishes to notify the general public that the work of restoring the e-Passport Issuance System has been completed. This development means that the department’s e-passport issuance services have resumed and printing of passports will start gradually in Lilongwe this week and later on in the other regions,” it reads.
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The statement further discloses that the government has reduced the e-passport fee by 44.4 percent for local Malawians.
“Government has reduced the e-passport fee by 55 percent for local Malawians, from K90,000 to K50,000 for ordinary passports with a waiting processing time of 10 days when the system is fully calibrated and operating optimally.
“The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services would like to thank all concerned Malawians for their patience during the time the E-Passport Issuance System was being fixed by a team of local experts from various entities who worked around the clock to complete the task within the timeframe set by His Excellency the President,” the statement reads.
Commenting on the matter, Consumers Association of Malawi Executive Director John Kapito said it is too early for Malawians to start celebrating.
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“We will be able to measure their ability once they start implementing what they have said. We have heard such words before and, in most cases, we have been fed lies.
“However, if this is indeed the reality on the ground, Malawians will be happy with it,” Kapito said.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition Chairperson Gift Trapence said they hope that the department would clear the backlog that is there.
“What we would want to see is that the department is able to clear a backlog of applications from many Malawians. This system has been down for some time and it is incumbent upon the department to assure Malawians on how they will fast-track the process to assist Malawians to get their passports as soon as possible,” Trapence said.
Chakwera gave Immigration officials three weeks to retake the system.
The Daily Times was the first to break the news of the system hacking last month.
About two months ago, the department started experiencing network problems, prompting it to halt the provision of some of its services.
Last week, a coalition of civil society organisations threatened to take to the streets in Blantyre and Lilongwe over the issue.
However Lilongwe and Blantyre district councils advised the concerned citizens not to proceed with the action.
