Govt approves purchase of e-passport booklets

Staff Reporter: The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase today recommended approval for direct government-to-government procurement of e-passport booklets and training under the project “Introduction of E-Passport and Automated Border Control Management in Bangladesh.”

The Home Ministry placed the proposal with a total value of Taka 1,692.32 crore where Germany-based Veridos GmbH has been selected as the supplier after becoming the responsive bidder.

The Approval came from the 46th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in this year held today at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the Finance Adviser said that the government would issue nearly one crore new passports, as the demand for passports is high side by side the processing would be fast-tracked. Apart from this, about 6.5 million documents will also be supplied alongside the passports.

Officials said the procurement will further strengthen the country’s e-passport system and expand issuance capacity.

BB/Shamim//