The government´s repeated failure to meet the ICAO deadlines for MRPs poses a critical question as to whether the government is prepared to meet the ICAO deadline of November 24, 2015 for introduction of e-passports.[break]
Unlike for the MRPs, a preparation to issue e-passport not only entails a time-consuming process but also availability of huge resources as it requires collecting biometric information that is used to authenticate identity of the bearer.
Government officials admit that they are likely to miss the deadline for issuing e-passports if the concerned government agencies did not start necessary preparations right away. “We failed to introduce MRPs on time even as the government took the decision to start necessary preparations back in 2060 BS,” said a highly placed official at Prime Minister´s Office, Singh Durbar. “This has taught us a lesson to start necessary preparations before it is too late.” Then government in early 2005 had decided to start issuing MRPs by April 1, 2010 -- the deadline set by the ICAO.
A distinct feature of e-passport is that its critical information is both printed on the passport and stored in a chip. A Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which is used to authenticate the data stored electronically in the passport chip, makes it virtually impossible to forge it once security mechanisms are fully and correctly put in place.
According to concerned experts, the government needs to establish separate Enrollment Centers in all the district administration offices (DAOs) to collect fingerprints and other biometric information including retinal scan for e-passport. It would take a considerably long time if the government chooses to set up such centers in all the DAOs.
According to experts at the Ministry of Science and Technology, the cost of setting up one such Enrollment Centre would come around $ 100,000 to $150,000 and could take up to a minimum of a year-and-a-half.
Additionally, an intranet system among Enrollment Centers is also required for exchange of biometric information. These Enrollment Centers must be connected to optical fiber links nearby, which may again take a long time and also require huge financial resources.
Above all, the government needs to set up a separate Chip Encoding Platform that would enable the authorities to read information contained in the chip embedded in the e-passport.
Though the government had earlier announced to begin issuing MRPs from January 1, 2011 after it failed to meet another ICAO deadline of August 1 following cancellation of MRP contract with India, the government started issuing the MRPs five days before the fixed date. MoFA later inked a deal with French printer Oberther Technologies on August 30.
Prez asks MoFA to make MRP distribution hassle-free
President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has asked the MoFA officials to make necessary arrangements to provide MRPs to common public in a hassle-free manner.
During a meeting with MoFA officials who had reached the President´s Office Sunday to provide him MRP, the president expressed displeasure with MoFA officials at the sight of people queuing up for hours to acquire a passport.
“I got it without any hassles. But the foreign ministry should also think about providing passports to ordinary public in a hassle-free manner,” an MoFA official quoted President Dr Yadav as saying.
MoFA officials also handed over a diplomatic passport to Vice President Paramananda Jha on Sunday.
Earlier in the morning, MoFA formally started distributing MRPs amidst a function held at the prime minister´s official residence at Baluwatar. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala handed over red, green, blue and black MRPs to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
While the red passport is meant for diplomats and blue passport for government officials, the green MRP is for the general public. The government has also made arrangements for black passports to maintain travel documents.
Foreign Minister Koirala handed over diplomatic passport to Prime Minister Nepal, Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha and Speaker Subas Nembang.
Likewise, the first MRP of the general public was issued to the founder of Maiti Nepal, Anuradha Koirala, who was recently honored with the CNN Hero award 2010. Prime Minister Nepal handed over the MRP to Anuradha Koirala.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Koirala said efforts were on to ease the distribution of MRPs to the general public. She said necessary preparations are underway to distribute MRPs through all the 75 district administration offices.
Officials said the distribution of MRP will also begin from Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur from next week apart from the MoFA.
As per the existing arrangement, it takes six weeks for the issuance of MRP. However, in case of urgent need, one can acquire it within a week by paying double fee.
krkoirala@gmail.com
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