Semlex chosen for new Congolese passport

The Democratic Republic of Congo has chosen Semlex for the establishment of an identification management system and production of the country’s new biometric e-passport. Late last year, Semlex presented the new passport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kinshasa.

Identification of the population and the production of identity documents are the cornerstone of a modern state and are essential to its development. In this context, Congo sought a partner for the production of new passports. Ultimately, the country selected Semlex, a Belgian firm, with the objective to strengthen security in the country while improving the quality of services provided to Congolese citizens.

Semlex has over 20 years of experience in Africa, and specializes in working with its partners to ensure smooth identity management system deployments. The company has entered into an agreement with Congo to obtain a complete solution, which includes: the creation of a national identification database, along with staff training to maintain the system.

To assist with registration, 26 provincial centers have been created, and more than 60 embassies will be equipped with biometric registration stations.

By the end of 2016, the government aims to provide every Congolese citizen who desires to hold a e-passport, with the new identity document, in order to facilitate friction-free travel. The passport, designed by Semlex, will be both biometric and electronic and the new identity documents will use fingerprints to identify citizens, which will be stored in the passport’s electronic chip. To reinforce its security benefits, the passport will feature the latest printing techniques.

Using the passport, citizens will be able to travel in confidence, and not have to worry about identity theft, since travel documents will not simply be biographic, but will additionally be tied to biometric data.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  epassport  |  fingerprint authentication  |  identity management  |  Semlex  |  travel documents