Presidential Council Rejects N1,000 NIN Verification Fee For Passport Application
- Presidential Council of Ease of Doing Business has faulted the N1000 NIN verification fee
- The Council stated that the regulation had not been well-received by stakeholders in Nigeria
- It asked NIMC to review the fee and make it easier for Nigerians to access passports without hassles.
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The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, asked the National Identity Management Commission to review its recently introduced N1,000 fee for the National Identity number integration and verification for every Nigerian passport applicant.
The Council disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business/PEBEC Secretary, Jumoke Oduwole.
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Nigerians reject N1000 NIN verification for passport
According to the statement, the Council has taken note of the recent announcement by NIMC on the new charge of N1,000 for NIN integration and validation for every Nigeria passport applicant, which takes effect from April 1, 2023, and asks NIMC to review the new law by making it faster and cheaper to access government services.
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The statement also stated that while the framework with the Nigerian Immigration Service to improve the quality of passport services via NIN verification is a good idea, the additional cost for each applicant has not resonated well with stakeholders.
He noted that the provisions of the Business Facilitation Act of 2022, signed into law by President Buhari, require that an applicant needing service from a ministry, department, or agency, the MDA is mandated to conduct necessary checks or certifications from relevant bodies or MDAs regarding the applicant.
On May 18, 2018, Executive Order 001 on transparency and efficiency in the business environment was issued as the current government’s first executive order.
Imposition of fee violates Ease of Doing Business
The executive order was issued to support and deepen the implementation of business climate reforms and to boost collaboration among ministries, departments, and agencies by creating a systemic change management process for reforms.
The executive order directs MDAs to submit monthly reports to the Presidential Council Secretariat, the offices of the Head of Service of the Federation, and SERVICOM.
The Presidential Council released its 2022 Executive Order 001 on March 9 on Compliance Report with a promise to constantly track and keep the business community updated on compliance with the executive order.
Punch reports that The Council was established in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari and is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and is mandated to remove bottlenecks and constraints to doing business in Nigeria.
Africa’s most powerful passports: Seychelles tops with 153 visa-free Score
Legit.ng reported that a person's freedom to travel globally mostly depends on their passport.
Citizens of some countries find it easy to travel seamlessly to any country when compared to others due to the strength of their country’s passport.
Passports differ globally, with every passport having a different statistical value.
Source: Legit.ng
