The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba has said Face Technologies is still printing driving licenses despite the expiration of its contract, because the local firm which was contracted to take over is not ready.
In May, government extended the timeframe within which Face Technologies had been scheduled to handover the printing of driving permits after the initial expiry of its contract. Face Technologies has been offering services in Uganda since 2003.
Gen. Katumba, who was addressing journalists at the Media Center on Tuesday, said a new service provider, the local firm Uganda Security Printing Company (USPC) could not be ready in time. He blamed this on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Because of USPC’s unpreparedness, Face Technologies was given another contract of six months which also expired on 30th November. However, on December 1, 2020, USPC was still not ready due to travel restrictions especially in Europe where most of the new equipment USPC needed were supposed come from.
“Several other project activities like system testing (both Factory Acceptance and On-site Acceptance Test) were highly affected by global travel restrictions. The new service provider wrote to the ministry asking to be given more time to be ready and start work on 1st March 2021,” he said.
Face Technologies is a private South African company, while USPC is 51-per cent government-owned company. The company is mandated to print all secure documents for the country and driving licenses is one of those.
“We requested Face Technologies to proceed with the issuance of driving licenses until 28th February 2021 when USPC will then take over. This was meant to fill the gap that was going to be created between now and 1st March when USPC hopes to be ready to start operations. So far the ministry has signed a Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) with USPC on the level of service expected of them during their operations. They can only maintain the current level of service or even improve it. Our goal is to improve a one-hour service not only in the Kampala office but at all other regional offices,” Wamala said.
Since Face Technologies informed the ministry that it would not be able to re-mobilize resources for operation in the upcountry offices, all the driving licenses offices in Jinja, Mbale, Gulu, Arua, Fort Portal; and Mbarara will be closed as the new service provider renovates the offices and installs the new system.
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