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Singapore on Track to Issue Biometric Passport in October 2005
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has appointed NEC Solutions Asia Pacific Pte Ltd for the Singapore biometric passport project at the cost of S$9.7 million on 21 March 2005. Other consortium members are: NCS Pte Ltd, SNP Security Printing Pte Ltd and Gemplus Technologies Asia Pte Ltd.
2. The biometric passport will comply with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). As announced by the Minister for Home Affairs on 3 March 2005, the biometric passport will incorporate facial and fingerprint information as the biometric identifiers and it will be valid for 5 years. It will make use of an inventory control number as the passport number, instead of the current approach of using the holder's NRIC number. This unique inventory number will make it easier to share information on lost and stolen Singaporean passports as part of the global effort to curb passport abuse.
3. "The issuance of the Singapore biometric passport in October this year will be a major milestone, not only in the history of the development of the Singapore passport, but also for the security of Singapore. The biometric passport will form a key weapon in our arsenal of efforts to combat alien smuggling and terrorist activities through the use of forged and tampered travel documents. It will also facilitate Singaporeans? travel overseas. The Singapore passport will continue to enjoy its global prestige as a highly-secure travel document," said Mr Tan Guong Ching, Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) at the contract-signing ceremony.
4. ICA will work closely with the company to start issuing the Singapore biometric passports in October 2005. More details will be made known in due course.
END OF PRESS STATEMENT
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
21 March 2005
2. The biometric passport will comply with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). As announced by the Minister for Home Affairs on 3 March 2005, the biometric passport will incorporate facial and fingerprint information as the biometric identifiers and it will be valid for 5 years. It will make use of an inventory control number as the passport number, instead of the current approach of using the holder's NRIC number. This unique inventory number will make it easier to share information on lost and stolen Singaporean passports as part of the global effort to curb passport abuse.
3. "The issuance of the Singapore biometric passport in October this year will be a major milestone, not only in the history of the development of the Singapore passport, but also for the security of Singapore. The biometric passport will form a key weapon in our arsenal of efforts to combat alien smuggling and terrorist activities through the use of forged and tampered travel documents. It will also facilitate Singaporeans? travel overseas. The Singapore passport will continue to enjoy its global prestige as a highly-secure travel document," said Mr Tan Guong Ching, Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) at the contract-signing ceremony.
4. ICA will work closely with the company to start issuing the Singapore biometric passports in October 2005. More details will be made known in due course.
END OF PRESS STATEMENT
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
21 March 2005