Tanzania President John Magufuli on Wednesday launched Tanzania’s new electronic passports.
The new travel document aims to enhance national security, control illegal migrants and increase revenue collection, local online website, The Citizen reports.
The passports will cost Sh150,000, which is equivalent to $66 and will be valid for 10 years. The old ones will be in use until January 2020.
Speaking to immigration officers, Magufuli said that he was pleased with the changes and pledged his support.
The new project was implemented in collaboration of the the government of Ireland and the service provider the HID, a US based company at a cost of $57.82 million.
Paul Sherlock, the Irish Ambassador to Tanzania, said: “Tanzania has made a milestone in launching the e-passport because many countries across the world are struggling to produce the state-of-the-art passports and many of them have failed.”
Tanzania joins several other African countries in e-passport use.
Kenya last year launched electronic passports in a aimed at curbing forgery and easing clearance at international airports.
