The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been unable to issue its citizens with new passports, almost four months after it ended its contract with controversial Belgium company Semlex.
And now with the lifting of some travel restrictions, frustration is growing among Congolese travellers who are unable to access this necessary document.
For the Minister of Foreign Affairs Marie Tumba Nzeza, the file concerning the issuing of passports was held up at the Ministry of Budget. The Minister has since called on her fellow compatriots to be patient as she has sent a communication to her colleague to expedite the process.
According to Tumba Nzeza, her department had already completed the necessary work in terms of how it will go about producing and issuing the passports. The file was then sent to the Ministry of Budget to be granted the necessary support, once this was done a communication will be issued to the public, she said.
The government of Congo had refused to renew its contract with Semlex, which was awarded the right to produce Congolese passports, after an earlier investigation tainted the company as being corrupt.
The investigation detailed how Semlex was overcharging for the cost of each passport, to the benefit of the company and members of Congo's political elite.
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