Malawi passports will now be produced by the Indian firm Madras Security Printers Private Limited.

The Malawian government has inked a five-year, $29.97 million passport production contract with Indian firm Madras Security Printers Private Limited, which will replace local ICT company E-Tech Systems.

The decision comes after the government terminated a $60.8 million contract with Techno Brain in 2021, citing violations in the agreement signed by the previous administration.

Last year, E-Tech Systems was briefly contracted to produce passports.

Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching'oma told The Nation Newspaper that the government used a restricted bidding process to select 25 companies, comprising both local and international corporations.

Only six bidders—four Malawians and two foreigners—made it to the final stage before Madras Security Printers won the contract.

"The new supplier can print more than 2,000 passports each day, compared to the present output of less than 1,000. This will significantly reduce the backlog and shorten passport processing times," Ching'oma said.

Malawi's passport system has seen numerous technological and security problems in recent years.

The Immigration Department ceased passport production in February 2023 due to a system failure. Around the same time, President Lazarus Chakwera announced in Parliament that cyber criminals had hacked the system and demanded a ransom, hindering operations.

The government has since sought a more secure and efficient digital passport system to avoid future cyber threats and delays.

With the new contract in place, authorities seek to simplify passport issuing, improve system security, and eradicate corruption in the process.