The Minister of Works and Transport, General (Retired) Edward Katumba Wamala (pictured) has revealed that Uganda Security Printing Company (USPC) won’t take over handling and issuing of driving permits from Face Technologies until 28th February 2021. Therefore, Face Technologies will continue issuing driving permits.
Addressed journalists at Parliament today, Katumba said Government contract with Face Technologies was to expire on May 30th, 2020. However, due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the new service provider (USPC) could not be ready in time.
“Subsequently, the contract for Face Technologies was extended by another 6 months up to 30th November 2020. The service provider was still not ready to implement on 1st December due to the persisting travel restrictions especially in Europe where most of the equipment to be used on the project will be coming from,” Katumba said, adding: “Several other project activities like system testing (both Factory Acceptance and On-Site Acceptance Tests) were also highly affected by global travel restrictions.”
He revealed that the new service provider wrote to the Ministry asking to be given more time to be ready and start work on 1st March 2021.
Whereas Face Technologies is a private South African company, Uganda Security Printing Company, is a Government-owned company (51% owned by GoU) and is charged with printing all secure documents for the country & the driving license is one of those documents.
“We have requested Face Technologies to proceed with the issuance of driving licenses until 28th February 2021 when USPC will then take over,” Katumba said, adding: “This was meant to fill the gap that was going to be created between now and 1st March 2021 when USPC hopes to be ready to start operations.”
He further revealed that Face Technologies informed the Ministry that they would not be able to re-mobilise resources for operations in the upcountry offices.
“So, 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. The Ministry is arranging to have officers stationed at all the regional offices to issue licenses that were already processed before 1st December 2020,” the Minister said.
He noted that the public will be notified through public notices and media announcements when they can come to pick their licenses.
“The Ministry has signed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) 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. Actually, our goal is to provide a one hour service not only at the Kampala Office but at all other regional offices as well,” he said.
