Tag Archives: Techno Brain

Business, Malawi

MaBLEM insists-“Techno Brain is not fit for passport printing services”, as Malawi searches for permanent provider

MaraviPost

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group under the banner Malawi Civil Society Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) insists that the embattled Techno Brain is not fit to take back services of passport printing arguing that the company took Malawians to ransom when they need their support after passport system got crashed.

MaBLEM has therefore urged President Lazarus Chakwera’s government to expedite the process of identifying new passport printing service providers with enough experience while meeting the highest standards of quality, security, and cost-effectiveness.

Addressing the news conference on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, in the capital Lilongwe, MaBLEM chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba hinted that Techno Brain proved to be an incompetent and crook company when it wanted dupe Malawians to restore the compromised system at an exorbitant cost of US$1.5 million, coupled with a demand for advance payment to an account based in Dubai.

“This proposal raises significant concerns, not only regarding the company’s role in the initial system collapse but also the ethics and
transparency surrounding their proposed solution. As a result, a different company was granted a temporary six-month contract to restore and manage the passport system.

“This temporary contract is set to expire at the end of August 2024, and the Ministry of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Department of Immigration, has been tasked with identifying a new service provider to take over this critical function,” says Mkwezalamba.

As to why Techno Brain is not fit, MaBLEM explains, “It has come to our attention that certain parties are advocating for the
reinstatement of Technobrain Ltd as the passport service provider, because they had previously installed the system and that replacing it would incur high costs. MaBLEM finds this line of reasoning fundamentally flawed for several reasons”.

“On System Security, Technobrain system was the very one that was compromised in the cyberattack. Reinstating a system that has already been proven vulnerable poses significant risks to national security”.

On unresolved accountability MaBLEM adds, “To date, those responsible for the cyberattack have not been held accountable, leaving open questions about the integrity and security of the system. Without a thorough investigation and resolution of these issues, it would be reckless to entrust Technobrain with such a critical national function.

“On cost and affordability, Technobrain Ltd has not demonstrated a commitment to reducing the costs associated with passport issuance. In contrast, the current temporary system has managed to lower passport fees by approximately 50%. Any new provider must offer not only security and efficiency but also affordability for Malawian citizens”.

Chips in MaBLEM Coordinator Fryson Chodzi, “MaBLEM acknowledges the efforts made by the Ministry and the Department of Immigration to ensure a thorough and transparent selection process for the new passport printing service provider. The criteria established are designed to ensure that the selected company has the necessary expertise, experience, and capability to provide a secure,
efficient, and cost-effective service.

“However, MaBLEM strongly urges the Ministry to remain vigilant and to ensure that every step of the procurement process is conducted with the highest level of scrutiny and integrity. All due diligence measures must be rigorously applied to avoid any recurrence of past failures and to protect the integrity of Malawi’s national security infrastructure”.

Mkwezalamba says, “MaBLEM strongly advises the Ministry of Homeland Security and the Department of Immigration to resist any external pressures to re-award the contract to Technobrain Ltd or any other provider without a thorough and transparent evaluation process.

“The selection of a new passport printing service provider must be based solely on merit, with a focus on security, efficiency, and the best interests of the Malawian people”.

“MaBLEM remains committed to advocating for the protection of national security and the provision of essential services in a manner that is transparent, fair, and in the best interest of the public. We call upon all stakeholders involved in this process to prioritize the security, integrity, and affordability of the passport issuance system.

“We would want the Government to expedite this process while following the due process and ensure that the supplier who is selected has enough experience and passes through a due diligence process. MaBLEM will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide support to ensure that the selected service provider meets the highest standards of quality, security, and cost-effectiveness,” adds Chodzi.

last month, MaBLEM lauded E-Tech Services Limited’s capacity and expertise for restoring Malawi’s passport services Immigration Department.

The grouping has therefore applauded Chakwera’s government for its efforts in restoring passport services in both Blantyre and Mzuzu.

E-Tech Services’ six-month contract ends in August 2024 hence the Malawi government is searching permanently for a service provider.

Human Rights, Malawi

MaBLEM disowns Techno Brain on Malawi passport issuance’ retention

MaraviPost

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group under the banner Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) has openly challenged retention of Techno Brain into Malawi passport issuance arguing that “suspects company handling of the system exposed it to hacking” immigration passport system”.

MaBLEM told the news conference on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 that Malawi government must unconditionally cancel all steps being taken to replace the current Passport Issuance company E-Tech Systems.

The grouping has therefore lauded E-Tech Systems for restoring immigration Passport Printing System within three weeks.

MaBLEM also applauded E-Tech, the local company for printing over 24, 000 passports within the shorted period when the company was issued a short term contract till August 2024.

MaBLEM said E-Tech Systems has proven be trusted and efficient company as local company to print passports.

Below is the full MaBLEM statement:

URGENT CALL TO GUARANTEE PEOPLES ACCESS TO PASSPORT SERVICES; IN SUPPORT OF INDEGENOUS SERVICE PROVIDERS

Concerned with public outcry on their failure to access passport services and disturbed with government’s confirmation that the passport printing services were hacked by unknown criminals who even demanded ransom to restore the facilities, the CSO led Black Economic Empowerment Movement – MaBLEM embarked on a discreet investigation to ascertain matters pertaining to the situation at the Department of Immigration, particularly focusing on the hacking. Our investigation has been comprehensive, involving the analysis of media reports, interviews with Immigration staff, government officials, and experts in the field. We have also tracked the experiences of individuals benefiting from the system and independently verified events before, during, and after the restoration of the Passport Printing System (PPS).

In line with our Investigation findings, we have since written Government through the Secretary for Home land security with copies to Treasury, OPC and Immigration department for their urgent actions and consideration of our recommendations which we would like to share with you.

THE HACKING

On January 19, 2024, the Malawi Passport System crashed, just a week after a visit from Techno Brain, the system’s supplier, to the servers of the Malawi Passport System. Following the crash, the Malawi Government assembled teams of experts in IT who attempted to restore the system for six weeks without success. Consequently, President Lazarus Chakwera publicly announced that the Passport System had been hacked and that the hackers were demanding a ransom.

It should be pointed out that Techno Brain had been Malawi’s long time service provider from 21 August 2018 to August 2021and government never renewed the same. Techno Brain was further engaged to provide E-Visa services which could also not be concluded by government resulting in legal battles. Despite the stand off and government demand for unpaid royalties from techno brain, it was established that Techno Brain still had access to the E-Visa system and previous passport system- hence government openly declared their presence illegal as they had not handed over the system inline with the Buy, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement.

SYSTEM RESTORATION EFFORTS

Upon this failure, government sourced support from outside government entities and individuals and several companies submitted project proposals to restore the system, including Techno Brain, whose bid totaled $1.5 million. Ironically, Techno Brain demanded an advance payment of $1 million to their Dubai-based account before commencing work. Among the foreign companies, the lowest bid was $1 million, with a commitment to restore the system within three months.

MaBLEM established that among locals, Abanthu Media Company promised to restore the system in six Weeks and was the lowest bidder. On the other hand E-Tech Systems, a Malawian company too, submitted a bid promising to restore the system within four weeks, with payment to be made only after the service was back online. The Government gave E-Tech a total of three weeks to bring the system back online or forfeit the contract. The local company successfully restored the system within the given timeframe, and by the end of the period, passport printing had resumed. At the time the system was restored, the Immigration Department had 165,000 passport booklets supplied by Techno Brain. Since the resumption of passport printing, these same booklets have been used for issuing passports. As we address the press today, E-Tech has succeeded to print and supply 24,000 Malawians with new passports.

MaBLEM has further established that as of today, 12 Government officials working with the office of the President and Cabinet had issues with their newly acquired passports while over 9 Malawians have travelled to Italy, Norway and Germany respectively despite them being given Disclaimers from the Norwegian Embassy office in Pretoria claiming the Passport Chips could not be read. We further understand that the Visa services at Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria is managed by Nationals from India – VFS Beyond these, all passport holders who have travelled to USA, India, UK, South Africa, Japan, South Korea among others have arrived safely and have confirmed to MaBLEM their safe trips.

CHALLENGES AND PROPAGANDA

Foreign competitors of E-Tech, having lost the contract to restore the passport system, have now launched a propaganda campaign against the company. Their goal is to prevent E-Tech from securing a full contract when the temporary one expires in August 2024. This propaganda includes sponsoring media statements that claim the printed passports are of poor quality and that the chips cannot be read.

One such piece of information has surfaced from the Visa Issuing section of the Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria. In addition to issuing visas to local Malawians, the embassy has been issuing warning letters to selected individuals, claiming that the chip in their passports is unreadable. However, none of the individuals who received these passports and visas from the same office and have traveled to Schengen Countries encountered any difficulties with their passports. Ironically, many of the individuals returned by the Visa Issuing Section (VSF) of the Norwegian embassy have been public officials, including an entourage scheduled to accompany the First Lady to Europe.

MaBLEM has observed that the Visa Issuing Section in Pretoria is the only one experiencing such issues, while those in Lusaka are not facing any problems. This raises concerns about potential collusion between the Visa Issuing Section and other competitors, especially considering that the VSF is staffed by individuals of Asian origin. Is this a case of political sabotage, targeting public officers to undermine confidence in Malawians’ ability to manage a passport printing system?

While MaBLEM has not definitively established the reasons for the crash due to the limitations of our investigation, beyond the ransom demand, there is ample circumstantial evidence suggesting sabotage for both financial gain and political motives. Before the crash, the supplier of the Passport Printing System had their contract canceled, and the government was in the process of identifying a new supplier. Recognizing the political significance of the passport, the hackers likely understood that tampering with the system could inflict political damage on the government, potentially compelling them to pay the ransom.

Currently, we are aware of attempts to reinstate Techno Brain with their associates GET as the sole provider of the Passport Printing System, with support from certain government officials who we will be subjecting to further investigation as they are bent on influencing the awarding of this contract back to  Techno Brain or its affiliated companies. It is baffling that, despite the need for a thorough investigation into the system crash, especially since it occurred just a week after the company’s technicians visited, some government officials still advocate for retaining the same company.

As per our sources at the Immigration, we have confirmed that over 24,000 passports have been successfully printed since the local company, E-Tech, restored the Passport Printing System. Out of these, less than 20 passports have been reported to have issues, and notably, all these reports originate from the Visa Issuing Section. It’s important to note that individuals have traveled extensively to destinations such as the USA, South America, Europe, China, Dubai, Japan and India using these passports without encountering any problems. We have evidence of issued visas backed by Testimonies of safe travel of Malawians using the same passports printed by Malawians. We are even further calling all other Malawians (who were not on our surveillance list) who have safely travelled using the newly printed passport to send us their Testimonies live through our facebook page to shame the devil.

Given the imminent need to select a company for passport printing beyond E-Tech Systems Tenure there is a noticeable increase in propaganda aimed at preventing a local company from securing the contract. However, it’s crucial to recognize that this local company provided the solution when Trusted Government officials were unable to for over six weeks. Moreover, they proposed and successfully implemented a reduction in printing costs from K90,000 to K50,000, despite initial skepticism from other parties. Now, with the system fully operational, and amidst allegations of bribery, certain individuals within the Immigration and Government are resorting to false reports in an attempt to favor foreign companies over the local one. We know all of the government officials who are doing this and we will start shaming them as we believe they are there to Sabotage the initiatives of our President Dr Lazarous Chakwera to put Indigenous Malawians first. Malawi is already experiencing Forex Shortages and we have other Malawians who are opting for foreign companies for the sake of their bellies.  We believe the intentions of these greedy Malawian is just to collapse this Government and we are asking why the passport services are not extending to other regions.

OUR CALLS

  • MaBLEM calls on government to investigate and release its own findings on the crashed system and be able to name and shame all those who demanded ransom from it
  • MaBLEM calls on government to unconditionally cancel all steps being taken to replace E-Tech but work to ensure that with the current provider, Government must develop a local system which can be supported and services with no serious hands from outsiders.
  • Government must ensure that E-Tech is allowed to provide the services including prioritising all applications that have been outstanding to clear aback log before efforts for new service providers can be considered.
  • Government must investigate all public officers who are advancing calls for a return to techno brain and other providers at the expense of ordinary service providers.
  • MaBLEM would like to call on Government to take serious steps to protect our fellow Malawian from these cartels whose sin was to help Suffering Malawians to get much needed help and their right to own a travel document at affordable rate and restore the service. We MaBLEM are of the view that the Malawian government Seeing the potential and the ability of a local indigenous Malawian company succeeding to deliver on this daunting task of restoring the Passport Printing System, should be given all the necessary support to ensure that this local indigenous Malawian be able to expand the delivery of Passport Printing services to other regions of the country.
  • MaBLEM acknowledges the court decision regarding the position of the dismissed Director General for Immigration, Brigadier Kalumo. Despite this, we would like to commend his unwavering stance, which played a crucial role in ensuring that Malawians and the President did not yield to ransom demands regarding the passport system. His steadfast leadership during that challenging period deserves recognition.
  • MaBLEM therefore calls on government and its officers to refrain from influencing decisions at Immigration Department and thwart all efforts to replace the bonafide and deserving immigration officers to run the entity without undue influence.

CONCLUSION

MaBLEM would like to make it clear that Malawians deserves better services and that public services should not be abused and used to syphon public resources.

As indicated above, we have communicated the same to government and we will continue pursuing this matter to ensure fairness and rights of Malawians are guaranteed.

Of greater importance is the need for Government and its officers to prioritize indigenous service providers so as to ensure our growth is internally motivated.

Issued this 26th day of June 2024, at LILONGWE

Robert Mkwezalamba                                                                                              Fryson Chodzi

CHAIRPERSON                                                                                                        CORDINATOR

Business

Techno Brain Challenges Malawi Government’s K36 Billion Claim: Analyzing the Legal and Business Implications

Burnett Munthali

By Burnett Munthali

Techno Brain, a prominent technology solutions provider in Malawi, finds itself embroiled in a legal dispute with the Malawian government over a disputed claim of K36 billion. This article examines the intricacies of the dispute, the implications for both parties involved, and the broader context within which this legal battle unfolds.

The dispute centers on allegations by the Malawian government that Techno Brain owes K36 billion in unpaid taxes. The government contends that these taxes relate to services rendered by Techno Brain under various contracts and projects. Techno Brain, on the other hand, disputes the claim, arguing that it has complied with all tax obligations and fulfilled contractual agreements according to legal standards.

The legal battle between Techno Brain and the Malawi government underscores the complexities of tax compliance and contractual obligations within the realm of government contracts. It raises questions about transparency, accountability, and the regulatory frameworks governing public-private partnerships in Malawi’s technology sector.

The K36 billion claim has significant implications for Techno Brain’s operations in Malawi and its reputation as a reliable partner in delivering technological solutions. The outcome of the dispute could influence investor confidence in Malawi’s business environment and potentially affect foreign direct investment in the country’s technology sector.

Techno Brain has responded vigorously to the government’s claims, asserting its adherence to tax laws and contractual agreements. The company’s legal strategy focuses on defending its position and seeking clarity on the basis of the K36 billion claim. The dispute highlights the importance of due process and legal recourse in resolving commercial disputes between private entities and government agencies.

The dispute has garnered attention from stakeholders, including industry experts, legal professionals, and the general public. Public perception of the case could impact both Techno Brain and the Malawi government, influencing reputational risks and perceptions of governance and regulatory oversight.

In conclusion, as the legal battle between Techno Brain and the Malawian government unfolds, stakeholders await clarity on the disputed K36 billion claim. The outcome will not only determine financial liabilities but also set precedents for governance, regulatory compliance, and contractual obligations within Malawi’s technology sector. The case underscores the importance of transparent business practices, adherence to legal frameworks, and the role of independent judiciary in resolving commercial disputes.

Malawi, Technology

Chakwera’s doomed Canaan: Malawi loses passport data over incompetent

Maravi Post Reporter

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera Tonse Alliance government continues to mess up with Malawians’ lives four years in power.

What promised to be a leadership of milk and honey, now the song is shameless due to day-in-day-out scandals.

As over the past few weeks, Malawians have been bombarded with reports from the government that hackers have taken hold of the passport issuance system.

Tonse government has also told Malawians that it is doing all it can to retrieve the system as soon as possible.

But retaking the system will not solve the crisis immediately, we can report.

As gathered from well-placed sources, the Immigration passport issuance system has been destroyed.

The Immigration Department has also lost all the data for passport holders.

This means if you have a passport now and it expires, you will have to go through the same process you went through when you were processing the passport for the first time.

According today’s Malawi News, there is information that the fingerprint identification system has not been recovered.

To get it back, it would require reinstallation of some data that are key to unlocking the system.

The servers were encrypted and it would take time to get it back to its normal status.

An insider at the department has also told us that the government is having sleepless nights trying to recover the data and the passport system.

“The immigration has lost all the data and getting it back won’t be an easy task. Several companies have been engaged to help recover the system and the data but some are charging too much.

“Others are giving long-term solutions that do not work with the President’s directive of recovering the system in three weeks. Remember we are remaining for two weeks now.

“So this issue of data is so worrying. The issue has been discussed and the resolution at the moment is that those wanting passport renewal will bring their expired passports and they will undergo that whole new passport processing and not a renewal as was the case before the ordeal,” said the source.

We have also established that the government has contracted a firm known as E-Tech Systems to assist in recovering the passport issuing system.

However, the company will not be responsible for the lost data recovery.

“E-Tech is working on recovering the passport issuing system and not the lost data. The issue of data recovery is being handled by the E-Government team.

“Until the data is recovered, passport renewal will be a problem,” said a source from the government.

We can also report that at the moment, the government has set up a team to oversee the system recovery.

The team comprises Immigration, Homeland Security Ministry, Information Ministry, Malawi Police Service, E-Government department, Attorney General, Secretary to President and Cabinet, and other institutions.

During a meeting that took place on Wednesday, President Lazarus Chakwera directed that the ICT Association of Malawi (Ictam) should work with the Immigration department to recover the system and the data.

“I have directed that the Immigration department be offered all the required support including from Ictam to recover the system. If they fail to deliver results, I will replace them,” Chakwera said in his speech delivered on Thursday in Lilongwe.

The source from immigration, however, fears that despite such support, recovery of the data may take some time.

“These are international hackers. They are demanding bitcoins. They took full control of the whole system and they communicate to the Immigration using the computer screens,” the source added.

Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda

The paper reports that a few days ago, a team from Malawi led by Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda had a virtual meeting with Techno Brain officials where Malawi tried to engage the former supplier of the Immigration system to help recover the system.

While confirming the meeting, Chakaka Nyirenda refused to divulge what transpired during the meeting.

But other sources told Malawi News that Techno Brian offered a temporary solution to the problem for which they charged more than what the hackers are demanding.

According to the sources, Techno Brain was asking for $1.6 million (about K3 billion) to undertake the task.

We are further informed that Techno Brain demanded that they be paid the money before the work could start.

In a statement released on February 27, Techno Brain confirmed having been approached by the government on the issue but said the government hasn’t gotten back to them after the engagement.

“We conducted an assessment of the situation and submitted practical suggestions to the Malawi government on the way forward.

“We have not heard back from the Malawi government on these suggestions to date,” reads a statement from Techno Brain.

Commenting on the development, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence has said at issue in this saga, among others, is that the Immigration Department is not being honest with information to the public.

“The Ministry of Homeland Security told Malawians that they have recovered 90 percent of the system. Now comes this data issue.

“This maladministration has cost the government and the taxpayers highly. Someone should be accountable. The President should take decisive action to make sure that whoever created this mess is accountable.

Malawians deserve better and should not suffer because of inefficiencies of an institution due to unprofessional conduct and poor decision-making of some officials. Heads should roll for this mess,” Trapence said.

On Thursday, President Chakwera warned the authorities to retake possession of the system or face the chop.

Source: Malawi News

Business, Malawi

President Chakwera’s Tonse government doubles down on investor harassment

Maravi Post Reporter

Last week, President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government doubled down on its attempts to intimidate and defame embattled technology company Techno Brain, in an increasingly desperate effort to extricate itself from an e-passport contract the previous administration signed in 2019.

On Tuesday, Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda managed to overturn a petition by Techno Brain employee Prakash Naidu to free himself from unsanctioned house arrest by officers from the Department for Immigration and Citizenship Services (DICS), which has been in effect for over a month.

Naidu’s representatives had filed an application with a high court judge to be brought before a court and have his case heard.

However,Nyirenda deployed an obscure piece of legal procedure to argue that since Naidu’s case had previously been submitted to another judge, his application should be dismissed.

The AG declined to comment on the legality of Mr Naidu’s detention, which has been described by his employers Techno Brain as an attempt to use him as “human bait” in a bid to force the company to hand over its data centre and drop its legal challenge over the contract dispute.

The disagreement started in December, when the government announced that it would be cancelling its contract for Techno Brain to upgrade the country’s passport issuance system and provide 800,000 e-passports.

At the time, AG Nyirenda claimed that the company had won its contract on a fraudulent basis – a statement he is yet to produce evidence for and which Techno Brain vehemently denies.

Since then, Techno Brain has come under serious pressure from the government to terminate the contract.

The company posits that this is an attempt by the government to avoid paying for services already delivered, pointing out that DICS has freely admitted to missing payment obligations in the past.

In a letter dated 24th November 2021, the government acknowledged that it owed the tech firm $23 million in outstanding payments.

Last week’s decision marks the second time the government has rejected Naidu’s application for release after denying a writ of Habeas Corpus in January.

On no occasion has the government produced a warrant justifying Naidu’s detention, which it claims is to prevent him leaving without handing over the passwords and keys to a data centre belonging to Techno Brain.

His confinement is therefore tantamount to human collateral over a contract dispute, as well as a flagrant violation of his human rights.

Furthermore, the dispute presents a troubling picture for any potential investors, who see the new regime in Malawi as unabashedly hostile towards foreign companies and their employees.

Techno Brain was contracted under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement to set up an entirely new passport infrastructure in Malawi, as well as develop the capacity to maintain and operate that system over time. In addition, the company trained over 125 DICS officials in how to operate the new passport issuance database.

Now the government is struggling to find a replacement company to fulfil the 800,000 passports promised by Techno Brain.

Earlier this month, DICS said it would only be able to provide emergency passports until further notice, leaving hundreds of Malawians without the necessary documentation to travel to work, visit relatives or receive medical treatment.

To make matters worse, security expert Sherif Kaisi has warned that the passport scarcity will likely result in corruption as desperate citizens bribe officials for expedited documents.

The best thing for the government to do now would be to de-escalate the situation by releasing Mr Naidu and allowing him to return home.

This would go some way to restoring faith in Malawi’s justice system, as well as mitigating concerns from investors that the government is hostile to foreign businesses.

More importantly, however, it would restore liberty to an innocent man who is being wrongfully imprisoned.

corruption, Malawi

Malawi’s Techno Brain faces probe on MK50bn Passport deal

Maravi Post Reporter
Techno Brain under probe

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Techno Brain, the company banned by World Bank and African Development Bank (ADB) for fraud and corruption is facing a new multi-billion Kwacha probe in Malawi over a passport deal with the Malawi Government.

In 2019, the Government awarded a US$60.8 million (about MK50 billion) electronic passports contract to Techno Brain Global FZE for the supply of 800,000 passports.

A member of the International Relations Committee of Parliament which is conducting the probe has told the local media that one thing that has been discovered is that the company quoted passport prices at expensive prices.

According to the Member of Parliament, Techno Brain pegged each passport at US$76 but in the Southern African Development Community region, a copy of a passport ranges from $25 to $60.

Chairperson of the committee Patrick Bandawe said they want to find the truth on behalf of Malawians and ensure that there was justice over the contract. He added that the committee will deliver a report in Parliament after the probe.

So far, the committee has met Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, Department of Immigration, Ministry of Homeland Security and Treasury officials.

Last month, Human Rights Defenders Coalition asked Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda to cancel the contract, saying it was designed to favour the supplier.

“In Clause 49, the payments are not linked to the passports issued. There is no performance bond guarantee and there is no advance payment guarantee. This means that payments are due whether the contractor is performing or not.

“There is no provision for liquidated damages in the contract to cover delays by the contractor in the event that the contractor fails or delays in issuing passports during the period of the contract,” HRDC Chairperson Gift Trapence said in a letter to Chimwendo.

Malawians pay MK90,000 (about US$109) for an ordinary 36-page passport but currently, the Department of Immigration is printing few passports due to lack of necessary resources.

The Tonse Alliance during campaign promised to reduce the passport fees to K14,000. Last year, President Lazarus Chakwera blamed the Techno Brain contract for his government’s failure to reduces the fees.

On the international stage, Techno has been banned by World Bank for collusive and fraudulent practices the company used to influence the awarding of a contract in its favor.

African Development Bank also established that the company indulged in fraudulent practices during tender bidding