Residents in the family islands will soon get some relief from having to travel to New Providence to have their passports processed.
Foreign Affairs Minister, the Hon. Darren Henfield says plans are underway to open new passport offices on several family islands within the coming months.
“We hope to open these smaller offices in Exuma, Inagua, Eleuthera and Long Island where Bahamians would be able to go in and collect their passports and in the current environment.
“We either have to move a mobile office into those islands and in the first quarter of this year we hope to get that done.
“In order to save money in this fiscally challenged environment we seek to use already established government offices or agencies where we can simply set up a kiosk with trained individuals; and the implements we need as a passport office to be able to facilitate the process” he explained.
Minister Henfield says training exercises will take place for family islanders.
“We’re going to train locals to be able to do the jobs that we need.
“Of course, you know we have other facilities in places like Abaco; where people who are locally there who are trained are able to facilitate the application process and to pick up the passports, which are expedited through New Providence of course.
“But they are sent to them, for them to administer the collection” Minister Henfield said.
