The Hon. Ananda Wijepala

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, this passport problem was created during previous administrations. When we took office, only about 1,200 passports were issued per day; we increased it to 4,000 per day. We are clearing the accumulated applications step by step. There is also ongoing court action related to passports. We have taken about 69% of the steps needed to improve efficiency. Tenders to introduce an e-passport have been called, with advertisements published on the 27th. Offices have been kept open 24 hours to improve convenience. Daily issuance in provincial offices such as Anuradhapura has been increased from 50 to 200; capacity has also been increased in Kandy, Kurunegala, and Matara. The Jaffna office is ready and will open within two to three weeks. We have also gazetted recruitment of 186 officers to strengthen the Department of Immigration and Emigration. There are significant staff shortages, and we are acting to ensure people receive passports more easily.