Gambians applying for biometric passports will face higher fees after the government announced an increase from 3,060 dalasis to 5,100 dalasis.

The government said that the fee hike is aimed at enhancing the sustainability of service delivery, adding that the state has been subsidising the cost of processing the national document for several years.

Speaking about the planned increment, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, said: “according to the 2023 contract, the price was supposed to increase to 4,000 dalasis. But the government at the time understood this would be expensive for many Gambians, so it was delayed.”

“And now, based on the terms of the contract, the price is expected to rise to 5,100 dalasis in 2025, and we are now ready to implement that,” he added.

Dr. Ceesay also stated that plans are underway to decentralise passport processing centres across the country, which would help ease the burden on Gambians living in rural areas when acquiring passports.

In response to the plan increment, Edward Francis Small Centre for Justice has called on the government to explain several contracts related to border security and the production of national documents.

The group questioned the legality of a 2019 contract awarded to US-based firm Securiport, citing a 2020 Auditor General’s report that labelled the deal illegal for bypassing competitive tendering. This comes amid claims that a previous agreement with Zetes in 2013 already covered similar services, including eGates at airports.

EF Small Centre also raised concerns about overlapping projects, including a multimillion-dollar Japanese-funded initiative to enhance border infrastructure, launched in 2024.

The organisation is demanding full disclosure on contracts with Zetes, Securiport, Margins Group, and details about the now-defunct GAMBIS system.

By Adama Makasuba