Ethiopian Immigration & Citizenship Service (ICS) is gearing up to introduce electronic passports (e-passports) within the next six months, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign currency. It will feature microchip-embedded biometrics to bolster security and combat identity theft.

Selamawit Dawit, director general of ICS, has tackled a backlog of passport applications inherited upon taking office and streamlined communication channels to prevent future delays. She said her team is committed to becoming self-sufficient in passport production.

"Gradually, all passports will become electronic," Selamawit told Fortune.

This initiative is part of a joint venture with Toppan Gravity, a subsidiary of the renowned Japanese printing giant Toppan Inc. A major Japanese-based player in the global printing industry with a 124-year legacy and over 10 billion dollars in annual revenue, the Company brings its expertise to the project. The partnership with the government established Toppan Gravity Ethiopia, a joint venture responsible for the e-passport program.

According to Kalkidan Arega, CEO of Toppan Gravity Ethiopia, e-passports will be imported from Toppan subsidiaries worldwide. She said local production will begin after a printing facility is completed at Bole Lemi Industrial Park.

“We’ll manage the entire process,” she told Fortune, “from acquiring materials to printing.”

Some experts have questioned the long-term cost-effectiveness of local production due to the economies of scale required for affordability. Million Kibret, a business consultant and managing partner at BDO Ethiopia, doubts the sustainability due to the vast production required. He believes a thorough breakdown of the local production advantages needs to be considered before exorbitantly investing.

"Extending the expiration date should be considered," Million told Fortune.

ICS was subjected to widespread public criticism over the past few years due to year-long delays in the delivery of passports, poor customer service and allegations of corruption that resulted in 44 employees, including the deputy director, being arrested.

As Selamawit presented the nine-month performance report before the Standing Committee of Legal & Justice Affairs chaired by Etsegenet Mengistu, the e-passport program represented a major step forward.