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NRB to Sub-contract Printing of National IDs

The National Registration Bureau (NRB) says it is in the process of identifying an international firm to assist in printing of National Identity Cards in an effort to clear a backlog of expired IDs from last year.

Principal Secretary responsible for National Registration in the ministry of Homeland Security Mpatso Augustine Sambo told Zodiak Online that the bureau is struggling to print over 500,000 National IDs that expired last year hence the decision to sub-contract the work.

Said Sambo, “it is a public tender and it was an international bid. We would want to go for a local contractor but being a process, we understand we could go for an international or local, but right now the contractor has not been identified.”

He added that besides sub-contracting the work, the Bureau is also devising other ways to address the problem.

“We are also increasing our printing capacity by purchasing new printers and also increasing our printing time, instead of printing only during the day, we have to work even at night on top of recruiting more printing staff.”

Economic expert Samuel Longwe told us the decision by NRB may have a bearing on the already meager forex.

“More forex will be used to pay for printing services of national identity cards, as a result that can affect our economy which is already struggling.” Said Longwe.

It has been observed that some NRB officials have taken advantage of the situation to indulge in corruption as they ask desperate citizens to pay bribes for the IDs to be printed.

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