The Foreign Ministry announced this Tuesday the contractual formula that the Petro government will implement to avoid a crisis in the issuance and production of passports in the country. This is considering that the current agreement expires on October 2.
High government sources informed the EL TIEMPO Investigative Unit that Thomas Greg, the current contractor, would continue with the service until the National Printing Office takes over the work by mid-2025.
This solution contemplates an 11-month contract which would operate under the mechanism of manifest urgency. That is, the same method that was used after the first tender in which Thomas Greg was eligible was declared void.
If this option is implemented, Thomas Greg would complete two of the three years that were planned in the initial tender, which was valued at 599 billion pesos. Despite this, it is still unclear what would happen with the lawsuit filed by the company after the then Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva (now in disciplinary proceedings) refused to award them the contract.
(See: How long can you stay in Europe with a Colombian passport?)
Passports.
THE TIME file
(Read more: What is going on with the ‘novel’ of the passport issue in Colombia)
What did the chancellor say?
In the context of the summons to the debate on political control in the Senate plenary session, convened by Nicolás Echeverry, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Gilberto Murillo, announced the progress that has been achieved on the subject.
In her speech, Murillo said that she spoke with President Petro to define three criteria to guarantee the issuance of passports. She also announced which allied government will provide support in the transition so that the process of printing these documents is nationalized.
“We selected the Portuguese government to accompany us in the process”said the Chancellor.
It is worth remembering that The issuing functions will be taken over by the National Printing Office in September of next year.
PORTFOLIO
*With information from the EL TIEMPO Investigative Unit
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