Immigration & Citizenship Services (ICS) has commenced e-passport issuance supported by an inventory of 1.5 million passports, with local production scheduled to begin in October. ICS invested 2.5 billion Br in telecom and data center infrastructure, and an additional 80 million dollar in document procurement. This included 1.5 million passports (50 dollars each), 300,000 alien passports and yellow cards (eight dollars each), and half a million emergency travel documents and laissez-passers (five dollars each) “This is a massive investment,” ICS Deputy Director-General Gosa Demissie told Fortune. Passport holders may continue to utilize their existing documents until expiration. Officials have announced that the e-passport service will maintain the current fee structure and assures delivery within a period of two months and 10 days. Toppan Security Ethiopia S.C., a joint venture established in 2023, has expedited e-passport printing at its 55 million dollar industrial security plant in Bole Lemi Industrial Park. The venture comprises Toppan Gravity (51pc), a subsidiary of Japan-based Toppan Inc., and Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), through its subsidiaries, Berhanena Selam Printing Enterprise (BSPE) and Education Materials Production Distribution Enterprise (EMPDE). Brook Taye (PhD), CEO of EIH, described the arrangement as “one of the most important strategic investments to date.” At full capacity, the plant is expected to print over five million passports annually and will also implement a digital identity verification system. The e-passports feature an embedded chip that stores MRP data and biometric information, including facial recognition, fingerprints, and iris scans, increasing security.

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