The Malawian government has signed a five-year agreement with Madras Security Printers Private Limited, a company tasked with enhancing passport production services.
According to the documents reviewed, the deal, worth USD 29.9 million (approximately K52 billion), aims to ease the backlog and improve the efficiency of passport issuance in the country.
The Minister of Homeland Security, Ezekiel Ching’oma, confirmed the development, stating that the company is expected to begin operations before the end of April this year.
“With the introduction of this new system, we expect a significant improvement in service delivery. The company will be able to produce 2,000 passports per day, doubling the current output of 1,000,” Ching’oma explained.
The minister further noted that the contract followed a competitive bidding process involving 25 companies. Out of these, six companies advanced to the final stage, with four being local firms. After a thorough evaluation, Madras Security Printers was awarded the contract.
The new system is expected to address the long-standing challenges Malawians have faced when obtaining passports, including delays and insufficient production capacity.
“This is a step toward providing faster and more reliable passport services to our citizens. We want to ensure that people no longer endure unnecessary delays,” Ching’oma added.
For years, Malawians have struggled with slow passport processing due to limited production capacity.
The government’s new partnership is seen as part of broader efforts to improve service delivery and reduce frustrations at immigration offices nationwide.
As the country awaits the rollout of the new system, many citizens hope the increased production capacity will finally ease the long queues and speed up the process of securing travel documents.
