Dar es Salaam. The newly-launched electronic passport (e-passport) is likely to make Tanzania more attractive to foreign investors, members of the business community say.
Those who spoke to The Citizen said on Wednesday that since the passport brings all information about a person under one roof, it also eases the process of searching for the right materials required to apply for travel documents.
“I strongly believe that once e-passport issuance starts, the time it takes to screen and verify entrants at the border will significantly drop because the in-built chip will contain all the necessary personal information that was typically manually filled,” said the chief executive officer of Mohammed Enterprises Limited (MeTL) Group, Mr Mohammed Dewji.
Apart from ensuring security of the country in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements, the e-passport also connects an individual’s information as documented by the National Identification Authority (Nida), Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (Rita), National Internet Data Centre, Police Force, International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), Tanzania Revenue Authority, Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and government’s electronic payment system.
He said, currently, entrepreneurs were operating in a globalised world with constant travel and thus cutting the time taken to acquire relevant travel documents means that plenty of cash will be saved.
“For frequent travellers like myself, this is a huge time saver that I look forward to enjoying. Time is money, therefore, anything that will save me time as an entrepreneur is something I must applaud,” Mr Dewji said.
The Tanzania Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) acting executive director, Mr Gotfrid Muganda said the e-passport will bring several opportunities for members of the business community to expand their operations and strike partnership deals with their foreign counterparts.
The Citizen
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