Sri Lanka is planning to introduce e-Passports within the next year, in line with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament.
The Minister said a new procurement process has been launched to acquire the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) security system, with tenders expected to be called shortly. The previous procurement process for the PKI system was cancelled due to several shortcomings.
Meanwhile, four e-gates have already been installed at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). The Government plans to install a further 12 e-gates within the next year to support the introduction of e-Passports and streamline passenger processing.
Responding to concerns over the reduction in passport pages, Minister Wijepala said the new P-series passport contains 48 pages, compared with 64 pages previously. He said the reduction has not caused any issues and that Sri Lankan passports remain in line with international standards.
