South Sudan resumes issuance of national IDs cards, passports

JUBA – South Sudan ministry of interior’s immigration department last week received 44,000 booklets of regular passport and 49,500 booklets of national identity cards after paying a $3.4 million software license fee to German company Muhlbauer.

The passports and immigration identification server had been blocked by its host, the German company Muhlbauer, after the government of South Sudan failed to pay an annual software license fee of around $60 million.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Juba, Director General of nationality and passports at the ministry of interior, Gen. Atem Marol Bair said they have resumed the printing of national documents after nearly one year.

“Last week we received 4,400 regular passports and 49,500 nationalities that is why you see this center is very busy. We are issuing national documents to people with emergencies like students and those who are sick,” Marol told reporters yesterday in Juba.

Marol said the government will pay to advance ten years license fees to German company Muhlbauer to continue with the supply of national documents.

“The government has paid 3.3 million U.S dollars to German company Muhlbauer supplying nationality and passport and we are planning to pay an advance bill of ten years,” he said.

He said they are still expecting more printing booklets for nationality and passports in the coming weeks.