OT to supply ePassports to Republic of Mali

Following an invitation to tender, OT (Oberthur Technologies) has signed a contract with the Government of the Republic of Mali to supply a complete solution for issuing electronic passports which meet the strictest international security standards.

According to a statement by the company, the public private partnership (PPP) gives OT a contract for 10 years, during which time the Republic of Mali will benefit from a comprehensive and innovative hi-tech industrial solution for its latest generation passport. The Republic of Mali has given OT, via Mali Solutions Numériques (MSN), and its partner Afritek, complete responsibility for Malian passports, from collection of payment from citizens to registration and validation of applications, through to production, personalization and distribution of the passports.

Mali’s new electronic passport features the latest security innovations and now includes fingerprints, further increasing the passport’s level of security.

OT says that its expertise will improve the quality of the passport issuing process and biometric verification when collecting information and during border checks, while ensuring the quality of the service offered to Malian citizens, including the practicality of payment methods and the speed of the passport issuing process, which can take less than 24 hours.

“Our association with the Republic of Mali is historic,” said Christophe Fontaine, Managing Director of the Citizen Access and Identity business at OT. “During our initial partnership, we delivered traditional passports. Fifteen years on, we are delighted and proud to have reinforced our relationship by providing the Malian Government and citizens with our expertise in fraud prevention using a comprehensive solution enabling the production and issuing of reliable and effective latest-generation biometric documents.”

Mr Salif Traoré, Minister of Internal Security, added: “We wanted to have access to the latest technologies for Mali’s new electronic passport and that was made possible thanks to our trusted partner, OT, which was capable of investing and making this project a reality. OT’s investment not only gives us an identity document which is simple to authenticate and effective at combating all attempts at fraud, but also allows our fellow citizens to travel with ease and assurance, in complete confidence.”

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  ePassports  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Mali  |  Oberthur Technologies