Dear Editor,
The Passport, Immigration, and Citizenship Agency (PICA) recently announced increases in the prices for Jamaican Passports, which resulted in arguments and counter-arguments from many quarters and prompting many questions.
Some have even said such a steep increase for a small book is unconscionable becaused the price of any book of its size at a bookstore would not be more than $300, while a thick Oxford Pocket Dictionary has not yet reached $2,000. Others have said that a phased increase would have eliminated the shock and outcry.
PICA being the distributors/sellers of the Jamaican/Caricom passport would do well to answer the following questions publicly which may well justify the pricing:
1. Where are our passports manufactured and/or printed?
2. Is the Jamaican passport a most reliable, secure and trusted document that cannot be duplicated, copied or cloned?
3. Does the passport have a unique chip(s) embedded containing one's details that require special keys/code to access this information?
4. What level of security, responsibility is there regarding transport, storage/safekeeping of security features?
5. Has there been an audit or assessment of the aims, objectives role and functions of PICA since it has began operating?
May I suggest that comprehensive answers to these questions by PICA may well be able to justify to the citizenry the proposed increases now being questioned by many?
PICA should demonstrate to the population why such a high cost for this essential little book of hope and progress.
Michael Spence
Liguanea PO
Kingston 6
Demonstrate the reasons for such a high cost for a little book, PICA
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The Passport, Immigration, and Citizenship Agency (PICA) recently announced increases in the prices for Jamaican Passports, which resulted in arguments and counter-arguments from many quarters and prompting many questions.
Some have even said such a steep increase for a small book is unconscionable becaused the price of any book of its size at a bookstore would not be more than $300, while a thick Oxford Pocket Dictionary has not yet reached $2,000. Others have said that a phased increase would have eliminated the shock and outcry.
PICA being the distributors/sellers of the Jamaican/Caricom passport would do well to answer the following questions publicly which may well justify the pricing:
1. Where are our passports manufactured and/or printed?
2. Is the Jamaican passport a most reliable, secure and trusted document that cannot be duplicated, copied or cloned?
3. Does the passport have a unique chip(s) embedded containing one's details that require special keys/code to access this information?
4. What level of security, responsibility is there regarding transport, storage/safekeeping of security features?
5. Has there been an audit or assessment of the aims, objectives role and functions of PICA since it has began operating?
May I suggest that comprehensive answers to these questions by PICA may well be able to justify to the citizenry the proposed increases now being questioned by many?
PICA should demonstrate to the population why such a high cost for this essential little book of hope and progress.
Michael Spence
Liguanea PO
Kingston 6
Demonstrate the reasons for such a high cost for a little book, PICA
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