Clock ticks on 950,000 — holders of old passports Even as the clock ticks away, only 138 per cent of ‘Tanzanians have acquired ‘the new electronic passports ‘By Hal Leton iets letea@tenationmecia.com Dar es Salaam. Time is fast rmning out for holders of machine-readable pass ports with only five months {ogo before the travel doct- mentisphased out, ‘But,evenas the lock ticks vay, only 188 per cent of ‘Tanzanians have acquired the new electronic pase- ports accordingto dats from ‘the immigration Depart- ment ‘Since the Iaunch of the clectronie paseport system in January 2018, latest data show that only 18148 Tan- ‘zanians have sequined the ‘new passports, compared to the estimated 980,000 who hold the machine-readable passports (MEP). ‘Already, some countries nolonger accept the old gen- eration passports "The Immigration Depart ‘ment says there is low "uptake ofthe new passports. "The new electron pass port costs $n150000, three {mes the old one, which was eed at Sh50,000. ‘in an interview with The Citizen, Immigration Department spokesperson Ally Mtanda said the two- year window period expires ‘on January 2, 2020 teal upon Tanzanian, citizens who want the new tlectronie passports to apply at any of our offices which areclosest to them” he sid ‘According. to him the eeu Passports, “All they. need is. the National "Identification I call upon Tanzanian citizens who want the new Bayt (Caio), Holland (The Hague), Belgium (Brus- sels), Zambia Chusaka), India (New Delhi), Malawi Galongwe), China Being, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, await, Oman (fusca), Monambique (vaputo) and Zimbabwe The Department insist that use of MRPs will ‘cease on January 31, 2020. ‘Tn 2018, Tanzania began fssuingsingle electronic East ‘African. Community (EAC) passports, replacing the eadable FAC and ordinary passport ismed by the mem Ferstates The EAC directed its members to begin is ance ofthe new dig pass portsby January, 2018. ‘The new e-passportdata- base is enhanced with an electronic passports to ‘Auacroated spe Vr apply at any of our offices fe wl a Hay 1 SPOKESMAN sinning