(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles considering the high cost, has decided to suspend the Notice of Expression of Interest (EOI) related to the issuance of electronic passports or ‘e-Passports’ and call for tenders.
The cabinet has approved a paper presented by the minister in charge of the subject, Tiran Alles, to appoint a special technical evaluation committee for related activities and accordingly, to call for a new tender taking into account the current economic situation and needs of the country.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) had been called in relation to the issuance of ‘e-passport’, and many of the applicants had complained to the Ministry of Public Security regarding certain technical deficiencies in the notification.
Accordingly, the Minister in charge of the subject, Mr. Alles, has canceled the relevant call for bids and called for tenders through the normal procurement process.
A senior official of the Ministry of Public Security said that more than 700,000 e-passports should be issued per year and it will cost about 15 million US dollars.
The official said that millions of dollars had to be spent on the machines used to issue the passports and also mentioned that the issuance of e-passports has become difficult due to the high cost.
