Nisar felicitates Nadra on winning e-passport project for Kenya

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has felicitated Nadra on winning e-passport project for Kenya after being declared successful bidder by the government of Kenya in the tendering process.
The project worth $3 million involves citizen registration including biometric data capture, data verification and validation using Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) technology and printing and personalisation of e-passport booklets.
Felicitating Nadra over the win, the minister observed that this would not only further cement Pak-Kenya bilateral relations but would also further strengthen Nadra’s credentials at international level in providing quality and reliable registration services to the developing nations and enabling them meet their national and security requirements.
It may be recalled that Kenya’s Machine Readable Passport System (KMRP) has been developed and is being maintained by Nadra since 2007. Whereas, in previous years, Nadra and Kenyan government signed three annual contracts for deployment of five more passport offices and annual support and maintenance of KMRPS.
In February 2015, Nadra participated in the bidding of e-passport production project. Having been declared successful bidder amongst the world’s leading IT firms, Nadra has been invited to sign the contract with government of Kenya.
The e-passport project also involves the establishment of central printing facility and installation of laser engraving printing machines for the production of e-passport. The proposed e-passport shall completely comply with the standards of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) set for e-passports. The key management system used in the security of the e-passport booklet shall be integrated with ICAO’s public key directory.
It is pertinent to mention here that Nadra had recently developed and delivered Nigerian national identity card system that aimed at delivering a robust national identity management system to assist government of Nigeria in issuance of smart ID cards to its citizens. Last year Nadra implemented civil registration system in Sudan in Arabic language. Other achievements of Nadra include among others driving licensing system for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka ID card project, biometric refugee registration system for UNHCR and World Bank’s poverty score card system.