Liberia unveils plan for biometric residence permits, choice of contractor questioned

The Liberian Immigration Service (LIS) has announced that it will begin issuing biometric residence permits to aliens living in the country from the beginning of next year.

In a recent event to inaugurate the project, Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean said the novelty is part of efforts by the government in Monrovia to eliminate the hassles involved in obtaining the credential, and to keep the country at pace with global advancements in the domain, according to a report by Daily Observer.

Just days after the announcement was made, investigative journalism outlet Independent Probe claims that the government had already concluded a deal after backroom negotiations with Contec Global, a British biometrics provider with offices in Nigeria, to deliver the project. The Probe was unable to verify the details of the procurement process behind the deal.

In fact, the Probe publishes that it has documents in its possession which show a deal had been struck between the Liberian government and the company for the project since the 2020/2021 financial year.

The expertise and ability of Contec to deliver the multi-million dollar project has also been put to serious question by the Probe.

The outlet reports that despite unfavorable remarks about Contec in a restricted bidding document explanatory note, the government went ahead to award the biometric residence permit deal worth $8 million to the firm in a covert manner without other potential bidders involved in the process.

The Liberian government says the introduction of biometrics in the issuance of residence permits will streamline the process and enhance security control for foreigners living and working in the country.

Overseen by the Ministry of Labor in collaboration with the LIS, the move also aligns with the other similar initiatives the government has undertaken which include digitizing the issuance of visas on arrival as well as re-entry permits.

Robert Budy, commissioner general of the LIS, says the new system will increase the agency’s annual revenue from $5 million to $7 million, among other benefits.

The concerns reported regarding the biometric residence permit contract award process evoke memories of the extensive controversy that dogged the procedure of choosing a supplier for the country’s biometric voter registration system.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  Contec Global  |  government purchasing  |  identity document  |  immigration  |  Liberia