Why There Are No Passports in Armenia: Is the Issue Related to the Procurement Competition?

Once again, reports are coming in that the process of obtaining passports at certain divisions of the Police's Passport and Visa Department (Ovir) is being delayed. Citizens have reported that they are traveling from abroad to obtain passports, but at Ovir they are told that there are no passports available and that they are not being printed, resulting in their inability to return.

In particular, a citizen residing in the Russian Federation informed us that his wife and child have been in Armenia for a long time to obtain passports, but the process is being prolonged, preventing them from returning to Russia. "The child needs to go to school, my wife's vacation has already ended, and how long will her employer wait? They are threatening to dismiss her, which is understandable; a person's job is at stake. But finding a suitable job is not easy either. Now, who is going to compensate for all this?"

ArmDaily.am reports that the issue is connected to the timing of announcing the procurement competition. The Armenian side miscalculated the timelines, thus causing delays in the announcement of the competition. Zarsand Gabrielian, head of the Media Relations, Analysis, and Information Service of the Public Relations and Information Department of the Police, responded to the question of how accurate the claims about the miscalculated announcement timelines are, stating that they have one clarification: "Due to COVID, there have been technical issues with supplies." When asked when a new batch will be available, he replied that official information would be provided regarding other details.

Regarding the statistics on how many passports are needed monthly, he stated that a written request is needed to provide such data. In an interview with the media, former head of the Passport and Visa Department Mnatsakan Bichakhchyan noted that approximately 400,000 to 410,000 samples of passports are printed each year. "As far as I know, the Poles have won the competition again this time. A competition is announced every year, and the supplying organization is required to deliver a specific number of samples within a set timeframe. In one situation, a company may ensure delivery a month after the competition, while in another, it might take 2-3 months. I don’t know what conditions and timelines the competition has been announced under with the Polish side and how ready they are to meet those timelines. The only final solution to this issue could be a long-term bidding process and the finalization of the biometric system."

He added that every year a competition is announced, as passports represent important security documents for the country, and objectively, multiple competitions may be announced, because someone can offer a high price, or other issues may arise. In my opinion, legislative solutions should be provided so that competitions for passports are not announced every year, but rather for a longer term. This way, state bodies can be assured that the supply will be consistent month by month; otherwise, issues like these arise, as a competition may fail or other problems may occur.

When I was working, the project was still in the development phase, and we proposed to sign contracts for 10+5 years, meaning that if the 10-year term reaches, and both parties agree, it could be extended for another 5 years, so that the system operates and the agency can ensure a smooth supply. This issue arose during my time as well, but we were able to manage it. Perhaps COVID indeed has had a certain impact." He also pointed out that there is a substantial printing press in Armenia that also has the capability to print passports. When asked if that organization could offer interim solutions to temporarily address the issue, he said he has no information, as it needs to be predictable for him – the appropriate materials must be available. "In any case, I think if they can, they will, as he is a very decent person."