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Harare Bureau
The Registrar General’s Office has intensified the issuance of passports countrywide to cope with the ever increasing demand for travel documents.The office is now issuing an average of 2,241 passports daily up from 1,936 in 2012.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Wednesday, Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede said the increase in production was in line with the government’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, which seeks to eliminate queues at the passport office and ensure that people get travel documents within 10 days.
Mudede said his office opened registry offices in other areas to de-congest Harare.
“We are issuing passports within a day and in three days,” he said. “The other passport is presently issued within four weeks from the standard time of six months. The department continues to work towards meeting the 10-day target for Zim Asset.”
Mudede said people should make use of provincial passport offices to acquire travel documents. He said there was a misconception that documents could be facilitated faster in Harare than other provinces.
“Some people believe that coming to Harare will speed up passport application process,” he said. “People should utilise our existing passport offices in the provinces, thereby decongesting Harare.
“External passport applications are also being submitted through the Gwanda, Bulawayo and Gweru provincial offices. The completion of the Central Registry building which is now up at 98 percent will enable us to open more windows for passport applicants.”
Online Reporter