The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Passport Office yesterday launched the first phase of its electronic services allowing for the renewal of adult e-passports to be done online.

Speaking at yesterday’s launch, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Marvin Dames noted the move as a major milestone for the country as the government seeks to modernise its services to better serve the Bahamian people.

“Today’s public launch of the first phase of the online services for the renewal of adult e-passports marks a major milestone for the Passport Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government and the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” he said.

In June, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield noted the various challenges plaguing the Passport Office in providing services to the public.

One issue, he said, was the overcrowding at the facility.

But with the public utilising the electronic system, Mr Dames said it would alleviate some of the overcrowding currently occurring at the Passport Office.

“The online portal is an alternative to relieve the waiting lines of the Passport Offices for the renewal of adult e-passports. Once the online application is successful, our citizens will be able to collect their documents from New Providence and Grand Bahama Passport Offices or one of our missions in the United Kingdom, China, the United States of America and Canada,” he said.

“To adequately facilitate the online operations, an online unit is now operational, complete with a help desk and operators to assist the general public with any technical matters that may arise during the application process. The telephone number for that online unit is 1-242-397-2388. Additional details and information can also be found on the (Ministry of Foreign Affairs’) website.”

In an effort to counter other challenges experienced at the Passport Office, Mr Dames added that the government plans to install passport satellite stations in four islands: Inagua, Exuma, Long Island and Eleuthera.

“(This) will undoubtedly provide a great convenience to Bahamians residing on these islands and will also eliminate the expenses associated with travel into New Providence. Moreover, these satellite stations will provide more job opportunities for Bahamians on our family islands,” he continued.

In his address, Mr Dames also commended the staff at the Passport Office for their dedication and hard work in “making the launch a reality” and for their collaboration with the Canadian Bank Note (CBN) Company Limited.

CBN, a leading company in secure technology solutions, was contracted to upgrade the country’s existing e-passport system.

Sami Elton, CBN’s executive director of business development said: “The online system, which is fully integrated with the passport system launch today, remains one of the most advanced in the world and CBN is extremely pleased with the collaboration between the project teams at CBN and the government of the Bahamas.”

The second phase of online services for the renewal of e-passports for minors is currently in the works, Mr Dames added.