Immigration offices dilapidated
Dec 16, 2008
THE office of the immigration department, which handles passports and foreign work permits is dilapidated.
By Paul Kiwuuwa
THE office of the immigration department, which handles passports and foreign work permits is dilapidated.
The commissioner for citizenship, Nicholas Ongodia, told MPs who toured the offices at the internal affairs ministry on Friday that the technology used in the production of passports was outdated.
The immigration department is housed in an old warehouse on Jinja Road.
“We lack modern technology. Most of the work is manually handled and the document scanner is not functioning.
“The store, which keeps passport applications, is full. We also lack space for keeping the new data,†Ongodia explained.
MPS on the defence and internal affairs committee were shocked when they found damp passport application forms scattered on the floor of the store.
Asked why the files were damp and scattered, the officer in-charge of the registry said the temperature in the store was too high and they lacked an air conditioner.
He also said the shelves were too full to hold any more documents.
According to Ongodia, the immigration department collects sh20b annually from the issuing of passports and work permits.
“Government is under-funding the immigration department. We have written to the finance ministry to increase our operational budget. We need to build a modern building,†he said.
The chairman of the board of directors, Obiga Kania, told the MPs that in case of a fire out-break, all the data would be lost.
The committee chairperson, Mathius Kasamba, promised the board members that the MPs lobby for more funds from the Government.
THE office of the immigration department, which handles passports and foreign work permits is dilapidated.
The commissioner for citizenship, Nicholas Ongodia, told MPs who toured the offices at the internal affairs ministry on Friday that the technology used in the production of passports was outdated.
The immigration department is housed in an old warehouse on Jinja Road.
“We lack modern technology. Most of the work is manually handled and the document scanner is not functioning.
“The store, which keeps passport applications, is full. We also lack space for keeping the new data,†Ongodia explained.
MPS on the defence and internal affairs committee were shocked when they found damp passport application forms scattered on the floor of the store.
Asked why the files were damp and scattered, the officer in-charge of the registry said the temperature in the store was too high and they lacked an air conditioner.
He also said the shelves were too full to hold any more documents.
According to Ongodia, the immigration department collects sh20b annually from the issuing of passports and work permits.
“Government is under-funding the immigration department. We have written to the finance ministry to increase our operational budget. We need to build a modern building,†he said.
The chairman of the board of directors, Obiga Kania, told the MPs that in case of a fire out-break, all the data would be lost.
The committee chairperson, Mathius Kasamba, promised the board members that the MPs lobby for more funds from the Government.