PASSPORT WOES COMING TO END

The backlog of passport applications at the Grand Bahama Passport Office will soon begin to dwindle.

Superintendent Clarence Russell, officer in charge of the Grand Bahama Passport Office, yesterday revealed that passport woes of Grand Bahama residents may be coming to an end during his address to the Rotary Club of Freeport.

"I can say that Grand Bahama will have the exclusive privilege of having in fact a production machine in New Providence dedicated just for producing passports in Grand Bahama," Russell said.

He added that the benefits of this new change are already realized on the island.

While it was commonplace in the past for Grand Bahama to receive eight and sometimes as few as three passports in a given week, Russell noted that the numbers have already increased dramatically within the last two weeks, adding that 600 passports were produced and returned to the island last week. In addition by Thursday of this week, the office had already received some 400 additional passports.

Russell noted that this was a change that is much needed adding that the ways of the past were "totally unacceptable."

"Grand Bahamians are no less than persons from other places," he said. "Having made the case, I think our cries were heard."

Russell also took a moment to address the large backlog of applications the office is still working to reduce.

Although the passports of some persons are many years away from expiration, Russell said they have been applying for the new E-Passport and in turn adding to the congestion.

He said persons who had made early applications should contact the office to determine whether or not their passports are now available.

He noted that the public should strive to collect them immediately because they too are adding to the congestion at the office.

While in the past there were only two phone lines at the Passport Office, Russell said the facility now boasts eight lines to better serve its customers.

Addresing what he said has been a misconception by the public, Russell said many persons think that if they come in for a new E-Passport when the old has not yet expired the office will confiscate it.

This is not the case, he said, clarifying that in these situations passport holders will continue to have the use of the document until it expires.

If an un-expired Visa is in the old document when the new passport has been issued, Russell said the old passport will be returned to the owner. He further explained that the office takes the passport, clips it, cancels and returns it back.

Russell cautioned that the E-Passport should not be stapled or in any way bonded to the old one.

"If you do that it will damage the biometrics in the passport and your passport is rendered useless," he said. "We ask that you put an elastic band to hold them both together so that your Visa in the old passport is good and your new biometric passport is available to you."

Russell also noted that many residents have been complaining about having to produce their parents' documents and other materials when they already have a passport. This is necessary, he said, because many of the passports issued in the past have been illegal.

He noted, however, that what is being viewed as an inconvenience now is for everyone's benefit in the future.

Russell said once your information is scanned into the system, future generations will no longer have to go through the same strenuous process.

He added that your documents will authenticate that they are indeed Bahamian and because that information would have been stored, it will be available to access.

His only regret was that someone had not thought to store the information on microfilm years ago.

With this procedure, Russell said, whether you are in Israel or Atlanta, or any location where there is a Bahamas consulate, someone with the proper security clearance can access the information and make it possible for you to get your document issued wherever you are in the world.

"That's the future, but the preparatory steps are already being made so that you can be accommodated," Russell added. "It all gears toward the convenience of the customer."