E-Pass Ports To Make Travel Easier
By Shareen Han

Bandar Seri Begawan - An Electronic or biometric passport will be introduced in the country for faster processing services at immigration control posts and embodied with better security features, following the signing of two contracts for the e-passport project worth $7.1 million yesterday.

The Immigration and National Registration Department aims to raise the security level of Brunei's passports, especially with the use of quality security features to guard against forgery.

Zainal Abidin Dato Paduka Hj Ahmad, director of immigration and national registration, said that the introduction of e-passports will provide more convenience to travellers in terms of saving time for processing services and the exemption of visas to enter specific countries.

"This project is in line with the need for the use of electronic passports to ensure the level of identification and safety documents during journeys are guaranteed," he said, adding that it is also a sign that Brunei has the ability to compete in the ICT era.

The e-passport travelling document will fulfil the international security standards set by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), he said at the signing ceremony held at Rizqun International Hotel.

He explained that the passport printing system will use a laser printing machine and the ability to include information in a biometric chip to verify and ensure that the examined passport is genuine and owned by the rightful person. The chip, with a memory of 72 kilobytes, will insert permanent data on facial image and finger print image for identification.

Another security characteristic is that through the Public— Key Directory introduced by ICAO, officials at immigration control checkpoints can determine the authenticity of the passport.

"The Immigration and National Registration Department also believes that the safety of Brunei's passports depends on the attitude and responsibility of the public, who should be sensitive in the use of (passports)," he said.

Michael Nissen of Giesecke & Devrient, a leading German supplier of smart cards and cutting edge system solutions, signed the contract for the production, supply and the secure delivery services of biometric passports.

The German company has been supplying Brunei's passports since 1993.

Technology Protective Security Services (ITPSS), a local company, signed the pact to supply, deliver, install, test, and commission and maintain the e-passports system.

ITPSS has also been responsible for the supply and production of machine readable passports which have been in use since 2002. .

Zainal Abidin represented His Majesty's government in signing both contracts.

Brunei is the third country in the Asean region to introduce the use of biometric passports, after Thailand and Singapore.

Brunei's national passports were first created in 1984, while the current official passport, in machine readable form, was introduced in 1993.

Officials and staff of His Majesty's government use a different machine readable passport produced in 2003.

Also present to witness the ceremony were Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan, Minister of Home Affairs, the deputy minister Pehin Orang Kaya Dewa Pahlawan Dato Paduka Hj Dani and other senior officials. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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