State phases out old passports
By ZANGOSE CHAMBWAGOVERNMENT has directed immigration officers at all exit border points not to allow Zambians to travel abroad today using the old passports.
Ministry of Home Affairs permanent secretary, Ndiyoyi Mutiti issued the directive during an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
She however said those coming into the country with the old passports should be allowed entry.
Ms Mutiti said it will be against the law for anyone to attempt to use an old passport when travelling abroad because it will no longer be valid.
She said the old passport was not computerised and it will be unfortunate for anybody to use it when leaving the country because it will not respond to the computer system.
Ms Mutiti said the Ministry of Home Affairs did its best to sensitise Zambians about the change of passports.
“No one will be excused to use the old passport when leaving the country because the information has been clear from the time the new passports were introduced last year,” she said.
And Ms Mutiti has urged all Zambians who had travelled abroad with the old passport not to panic because they will be allowed entry into the country.
She said Zambians living abroad are the only ones whose deadline has been extended up to August 31, 2009.
“Zambians living abroad are still having difficulties obtaining the new computersied passports, and the Ministry of Home affairs is doing everything possible to ensure that they obtain passports before the deadline of August 31, 2009,” Ms Mutiti said.
She said Government has no intentions of extending the deadline for the use of old passports because everything has been put in place.
Ms Mutiti said extending the deadline for the use of old passports will further derail the process of phasing out the old passports.
A 32 page passport is pegged at K300, 000 while that with 48 pages is costing K500, 000.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
