Kathmandu, June 29: Officials at Nepal’s Department of Passports have sought intervention from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after coming under what they described as mounting pressure from Prime Minister Balen Shah’s Secretariat to immediately cancel a major passport printing contract awarded to two German companies.
According to officials familiar with the matter, Madhav Khanal, a member of the prime minister’s secretariat, called Acting Director General Deepak Bik on Saturday evening and instructed him to terminate the contract by Monday afternoon. The directive reportedly came directly to the department, bypassing the Foreign Ministry, despite the sensitivity of the procurement.
Concerned over the verbal instructions, senior department officials met Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai and other ministry officials on Sunday. During the meeting, they detailed the pressure they had received.
Officials said the prime minister’s secretariat argued that the department could revoke the contract without consulting the minister. They also claimed Khanal instructed them to contact the French company IDEMIA, which previously printed Nepal’s passports, and begin procuring additional passports from it once the German deal was cancelled. Department officials further alleged they were warned that ministers and secretaries were temporary office holders and should not stand in the way.
After hearing the briefing, Foreign Minister Khanal instructed the department to continue implementing the existing agreement with the German firms and proceed with preparations to begin printing passports on schedule.
Under the five year contract, the two German companies are to supply 6.4 million e-passports to Nepal. They have informed the department in writing that preparations are complete and that printing can begin on July 15. The firms have also requested security arrangements for their personnel.
The passport procurement has already come under investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, CIAA, which last week filed corruption cases against 18 individuals. Department Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal and IT Director Sunil KC are among those facing charges.
Despite the investigation, Foreign Minister Khanal has maintained that the contract should not be terminated without legal grounds. According to department officials, he has repeatedly warned that unilateral cancellation could trigger international arbitration, expose Nepal to heavy financial liabilities and damage the country’s credibility.
Officials said the department will continue preparations under the existing contract unless it receives formal instructions from either the prime minister or the foreign minister to halt the process.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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