KABUL (SW) – The indigenous online passport obtaining service was launched at General Directorate of Passports here on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Shahzad Aryubi, minister for the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, said this new system would help expedite service delivery and counter corruption. He said the passport processing has been reduced from 16 steps to four steps, which would help issue up to 10,000 new passports on daily basis. He said in the past only up to two thousand passports were issue don daily basis.
Minister for the MoCIT said on the occasion this system shall soon be extended to all provinces as well as at all entry and exit points in the country. He added the new system with additional security features would also help implement the travel restrictions imposed on certain individuals. He added work is underway to online the driving licenses and other documents. Aryubi said within 45 days, the test phase would begin in this regard.
Syed Umer Saboor, head of the General Directorate of Passports, said on the occasion the current regime of passport issuance would continue till the citizens get used to the new online system. He added the online version would also stop exploitation of the lost or forged passports. He added the shortage of passports is also resolved with printing of some 4.5 million passports.
Officials said on the occasion some 3.5 million passports have been issued so far, and revenues worth AFN 23 billion have been collected in this regard.
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