This decision follows the awarding of a contract to a local-foreign joint venture after a tender process marred by malpractices and irregularities.

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has urged the public to delay passport applications until October, advising only those with immediate needs to apply for urgent one-day passports as. there are passports left for just around 43 more days.

Due to the delay in initiating the procurement process for new passports, there is a looming risk that the current passport supply may be exhausted before the e-passport system becomes fully operational.

Currently, around 50 priority applications are accepted daily, far below the usual 3,000 passports required. The reduction in issuance has led to long queues and frustration among the public, sometimes escalating to violence when applications are not accepted.

However, only 900 passports are being issued daily due to the current limitations, with a small number reserved for urgent cases.