The Directorate General of Immigration and Passport Office has requested Customs authorities to expedite the clearance of ink cartridge consignments to prevent a national passport printing crisis.
According to sources, the DG of Immigration and Passport Offices has sent a letter to the Collector of Customs regarding the clearance of these production consumables/ink cartridges on a deferred payment basis.
In its letter, the DG Immigration and Passport Office stated that the department is unable to clear consignments on time due to a lack of funds or delays in processing customs duties and taxes, which hampers passport operations.
However, sources informed citizens collective that this claim is inaccurate. Last month, the passport office not only spent over Rs. 60 million on building renovations but also collected millions of rupees from approximately 600,000 passport applicants.
Sources further revealed that the directorate has notified the customs collectorate that a consignment of ink cartridges is expected to arrive at Islamabad International Airport on 28-07-2024 and requires urgent clearance from the Collector of Customs.
It is crucial to note that the vendor’s delay in dispatching the necessary ink has caused a backlog in passport production, which could potentially lead to a national crisis.
It is reported that around 6.4 million Pakistanis applied for new passports in the last fiscal year, representing a 61 percent increase compared to the previous year.
To prevent a potential crisis and in the public interest, the passport office has requested the Customs collectorate to allow the Directorate General to obtain the mentioned consignment of production consumables on a deferred payment basis.
The department has committed to clearing the customs duties and taxes within 15 days of the consignments being released by the customs authorities.
Sources suggest that the passport office may be intentionally creating financial issues as part of a strategy to elevate the Directorate’s status to that of an authority.
