Zimbabwe will not reduce passport fees from $50

THE Registrar-General's Office will not reduce passport fees until Treasury commits itself to fund the department like other  countries in the region, Parliamentarians were told yesterday.

An ordinary Zimbabwean passport costs US$50 while in other Sadc countries they are going for less than US$30.

Speaking during a tour of the RG's Offices by members of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs and Defence yesterday, RG Mr Tobaiwa Mudede, acknowledged Zimbabwean passport fees were higher than others in the region, the Herald has reported.

Glen View South legislator, Mr Paul Madzore (MDC-T), chairs the committee.

Mr Madzore asked Mr Mudede if the passport fees were going to be reduced at some point to match regional average prices.

The RG said the use of third parties in acquiring some of the passport inputs was causing the production cost to go up.

He said ordinary Zimbabwean passports were cheaper than in some countries in the Middle East and Europe.

He said an ordinary passport costs US$490 in Russia, while in Italy it costs US$281 and US$204 in France.

Mr Mudede said in terms of security and quality, Zimbabwean passports met international standards, which most countries do not meet.

He said all the security features on the passport had been approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which confirmed the document as world compliant.

Mr Mudede said the reason behind the successes was because the department had been allowed to retain all revenue for its activities.

He said had it not been for the 100 percent retention, the department would be closed by now.

The RG also told the legislators that his department was working hard to meet the 2014 e-passport deadline.

Musikavanhu legislator, Mr Prosper Mutseyami (MDC-T), asked the motive behind the RG's office going to Marange to register members of the Apostolic sects.

It is understood that the MDC-T suspected that the move was meant to prop up Zanu-PF votes in the forthcoming elections among members of the Marange Apostolic sect.

The sect is viewed as pro-Zanu-PF.

In his response, Mr Mudede said there was nothing irregular about the gesture.

He said the department was ready to assist communities when a request was put forward.

"We register people everywhere, there was nothing controversial about it. We responded to a request from members of the Marange executive who wanted us to register them, it was just a civil registration, there were no politicians at all because there was no ulterior motive.

"We have been to many churches and communities, funds permitting we would do the same if we receive such requests," he said.

Mount Darwin North MP, Dickson Mafios (Zanu-PF), who is a member of the Marange Apostolic sect, said there was nothing wrong with the RG's office registering Zimbabweans. He said the sect's leadership had realised that most of their members were not registered and decided to find ways to have them register as Zimbabweans.