The government has decided to award France-based firm Oberthur Technologies to print multi-million dollar machine-readable passports (MRP).
The firm has been given a week´s time to come to sign agreement with the government.
The announcement was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during a press conference on Tuesday.
Oberthur Technologies is a world leader in the field of secure technologies. Innovation and high quality services ensure Oberthur Technologies’ strong positioning in its main target markets:
- International player for the manufacture and personalization of secure identity documents such as passport, identity card, driving license or health care card – traditional and electronic – and associated services for both governmental and corporate markets.
- One of the world’s leading providers of security and identification based on smart card technology and associated services for mobile, payment, transport, digital TV and convergence markets.
- World leader in security printing and specialized in the production of banknotes, checks and other fiduciary documents in more than fifty countries.
- World leader in the emerging market of intelligent systems to secure cash-in-transit and ATM.
Oberthur Technologies is required to supply the first lot of passports — 400,000 — within 70 days of signing of the agreement. The firm bid the lowest price, each MRP at US $3.59, among those who had bid for the deal.
Four international security printing firms submitted bids at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) for the multi-million dollar machine readable passport project on July 1, when a 45-day deadline for filing the applications expired.
Besides, Oberthur, the other firms that vied for the project were Singapore-based 3M Technology, Indonesian government-owned Perum Peruri and UK-based De La Rue.
Among the four firms, the French have offered to supply machine readable passports at a cost of US$ 3.5 per booklet, the lowest offer.
