Riya Mala 
Six million dollars has been specifically allocated for the procurement of an additional 200,000 passport books.
This significant financial boost in the new budget aims to tackle both the existing backlog and anticipated demand for passports in the coming months.
Minister for Immigration, Viliame Naupoto, anticipates this intervention to fully resolve the passport shortage, restoring service delivery to expected standards.
Naupoto also says the budget includes funding for Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems.
“That is the catalyst and the starting point for this major modernization we are undertaking. Eventually, it will be integrated with the e-gates being built by the ATS at the airports.”
He explains that these systems will be used by airlines and border agencies to collect and share passenger details before arrival, enhancing security and immigration processes.
The Minister also highlights that they have been working on permits over the past few months and have managed to clear 31,000 entries.
He explains that, over the years, the introduction of new systems was not accompanied by a proper transition from one system to another.
Naupoto adds that this contributed to the backlog, but as of today, the Ministry has zero backlogs for permit applications.
He emphasizes the need for faster processing of permit applications moving forward.
The Ministry of Immigration has been allocated a total budget of $17.8 million.
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