In a significant move to tackle passport processing delays, the government has approved hiring additional personnel to speed up passport printing.
This decision follows recommendations from a Cabinet-appointed committee addressing the current passport shortage. As part of the solution, retired officers from the Department of Immigration and Emigration will be recruited on a contract basis, following Cabinet approval.
Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayathissa confirmed that the procurement process has commenced for 1.1 million “P” category chip-embedded passport booklets.
To eliminate delays, the Department of Immigration and Emigration will operate round the clock, issuing 4,000 passports daily. Additionally, the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs’ proposal to bring back retired officers and reassign existing government staff—pending approval from the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Public Administration—has also been approved.