Nepal's Department of Passports (DoP) will call a global tender to print ePassports next year, according to local media.The department has done the initial work for ePassports that would replace the current Machine Readable Passports (MRP), officials told the Kathmandu Post.DoP Director General of Ram Kaji Khadka said, "We will call for global tender bids from eligible firms to print the e-passport by May 2019. If everything goes as per plan, we could introduce e-passport in 18 months."The department has dispatched a proposal seeking principal approval and budget to the Ministry of Finance, he added.The newspaper noted that the proposal forwarded to the ministry states it requires Rs 8 billion ($69 million approx) to print the next generation passport for five years.The price of each e-passport will cost at least $15 (Rs 1,739 approx). The government pays around Rs 500 for each MRP, but charges the clientsRs 5,000, 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000 to obtain the passport provided on fast and late delivery system. The ePassport will be polycarbonate with laser engraving. The cost will further increase if more security features are added to e-passport, the official told the Post.Nepal's current passport ranks low globally due to various reasons. If we provide good quality passport, our ranking would improve, the official said.The government had introduced MRPs at the end of 2010 as per the ICAO's guideline and distributed over 5.5 million passports since then.
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