Govt ties e-passports to national identity cards

Kampala. Ugandans without national identity cards (IDs) will not be eligible for electronic passports, the State Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Obiga Kania, has said.
The e-passports, which the government will launch on January 9, will replace the current traditional national and East African passports.
The distinguishing feature of the e-passports will be the electronic chips on them, which will store the details about the owner of the passport.
And they will cost more. An ordinary passport of 48 pages, which currently costs Shs150,000 will cost Shs250,000 whereas that of 64 pages will cost Shs300,000.
An official passport, which will be renamed the service passport, will cost Shs400,000, up from Shs200,000, for the 64-page document.
A 64-page diplomatic passport will cost Shs500,000, up from Shs400,000.
If you want to get the passport on the same day of application, you will pay an additional Shs150,000.
The government has included a profit margin in the cost of the booklets to boost its non-tax revenue collections.
“The prices are premised on the cost-recovery model to recoup the cost of production but also to include a profit margin in the form of non-tax revenue, which is to be paid into the Consolidated Fund,” Mr Kania said.