The Directorate Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration have agreed favorable payment terms with Germany-based Muhlbauer Company which prints South Sudan passports and nationality documents.
This was revealed by Lt.Col David Oromo Jobojobo, the Deputy Director for Information, Technology and Communication while addressing journalists upon arrival at Juba International Airport.
“Our mission from February 12, 2023 went on successfully, it was a technical discussion between the company and the institution itself, the main agenda is to continue with cooperation that was put in place and to also look at issues to do with next generation passport and nationality certificates,” Oromo said.
The directorate of passport and immigration had over the years been struggling to secure passports and nationality documents on time due to delayed payments to Muhlbauer.
Oromo said that Lt.Gen Atem Marol Biar, the Director General for Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration released payment of 5.9 million U.S dollars to settle part of the outstanding debt owed to the company.
He revealed that the remaining balance of 1.7 million dollars will also be released soon.
“We came with a solution which the company has accepted and we came into agreement,” Oromo said.
“We have come into agreement; they will continue supplying us as they wait for pending payments. We have requested changes, we need also to update our passport, national certificate and ID,” he added.
The Germany-based company has been supplying passports and nationality documents to South Sudan since independence in 2011.