The government called on the company to discuss another extension of the contract and avoid interruptions in the production of the document.
News Colombia.
On the morning of Thursday, August 22, the national government convened technical meetings to address the situation of passport production starting next October. This measure arises in light of the imminent termination of the contract with the company Thomas Greg & Sons, in charge of issuing passports since 2007, and the lawsuit that this company has in progress against the Colombian State, which amounts to 117 billion pesos.
The current contract with Thomas Greg & Sons ends on October 2, and the Colombian Foreign Ministry has expressed its desire to ensure the continuity of the service. to avoid any interruption in the production of these vital documents for Colombians.
“Issuance of passports will not be interrupted”: National Government
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the direction of the current Chancellor Luis Guillermo Murillo is exploring the possibility of negotiating with the company to withdraw the lawsuit filed and, at the same time, is considering the option of a temporary extension of the contract while new alliances are defined.
Foreign Minister Murillo has guaranteed that there will be no impact on the issuance of passports and has stressed that his team is working hard to prevent any unforeseen events, with the support of the Attorney General’s Office.
During a meeting held on August 20, in which the Chancellor MurilloAttorney General Margarita Cabello, and Comptroller Carlos Hernan Rodriguez, The operational details of issuing passports from October 3 were discussed.
See: Ministry of Foreign Affairs suspends passport bidding process
On that date, phase 2 of the issuance process is scheduled to begin, which includes a transition to a partnership with international and private actors for the production of the booklets.
Companies from countries such as Germany, Austria, Canada, Portugal, France and the Netherlands have submitted their bids to participate in this new phase.
However, to avoid an administrative vacuum, the Foreign Ministry is considering the possibility of an extension with Thomas Greg & Sons, provided that an agreement is reached that allows the lawsuit to be withdrawn and passport production to continue without interruption.
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