Government will soon start issuing electronic provisional passports commonly known as laissez passé to replace the ones in use for secure movement of people and proper record keeping.

In an interview with The New Times, Innocent Niyonsenga, the Public Relations Officer, General Directorate for Emigration and Immigration, said that the new system is currently in the pipeline and that the new permits would be issued, effective next year.

"This is an exercise that is currently going on. Presently we cannot confirm when this new permit will start to be issued but we are proposing to complete the process before the end of this year so that travelers acquiring provisional permits get electronic ones, effective next year,” Niyonsenga said.

Also to be electronic is Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) provisional permits which are given to people travelling to CEPGL member states.

CEPGL is comprised by Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The laissez passer and CEPGL movement permits, both annual permits, cost Rwf 3, 000 and Rwf 5, 000 respectively but Niyonsenga said that with the shift to electronic permits, the see the price increase. 

"But the costs of the new permits and the period it will last will be discussed later by the government,” Niyonsenga said.

"These new permits will be a booklet and machine readable. It’s easy to control such a system and it also easier to manage it.”

He said that between 3000 and 5000 people request for provisional permits every month.

Ends