DG Passports Asks Customs for Help in Solving Passport Printing Crisis

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passport Office has asked Customs authorities to clear consignments of Ink Cartridges to avert a national crisis of passport printing. Sources told ProPakistani that the DG of Immigration and Passport Offices has written a letter to the Collector of Customs concerning the clearance of consignments of production consumables/Ink Cartridges on a deferred payments basis. The DG Immigration and Passport claimed in its letter that due to the non-availability of funds or due to delay in processing claims pertaining to customs duties/taxes, the department can not clear the consignments in time, which causes difficulties in maintaining the passport operations. Sources told ProPakistani that the above-mentioned claim is not correct as the passport office in last month not only spent over Rs. 60 million in renovation of the building it also collected millions of rupees from up to 0.6 million people who applied for passport in recent months. Sources added that the directorate has informed the customs collectorate that a consignment of Ink Cartridges is about to reach Islamabad International Airport on 28-07-2024 and needs clearance from Collector Customs for said consignment on an urgent basis. It is important to highlight that the vendor’s late dispatch of the required ink has resulted in a backlog of passports. This delay in passport printing could potentially lead to a national crisis. Reportedly, approximately 6.4 million Pakistanis applied for new passports during the last fiscal year, which is a 61 percent increase from the previous year. This Directorate General may be allowed to get the above-referred consignment of Production Consumable on a deferred payment basis, from customs to avert any crises, in the public interest, the passport office requested the Customs collectorate. The Department does hereby undertake to clear the payments of customs on account of customs duties/taxes within 15 days from the day the consignments are released by customs authorities. Sources said that the passport office is deliberately creating funds issues apparently to fulfill their agenda to convert the status of the Directorate to authority.