Passport law for review in response to AU move: Tanzania govt
Published: 21/Jul/2016
Source: The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Following the launch of the AU diplomatic passport during the just ended AU Summit in Kigali, the government of Tanzania will review the travel documents act in a bid to clarify their usage.
The passport was firstly issued to the region’s heads of state and ministers of foreign affairs. They will also be available to civilians of AU member countries with regards to the available procedures.
This document was introduced as part of efforts to enhance and promote business and political integration among members. Moreover, the passport would facilitate interaction by cutting some unnecessary restrictions during visa application.
Briefing reporters on the resolutions of the summit, the minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga, said the move would help to draw a boundaries on the usage of the three passports that would be made available. “There must be a control of the passports. We in Tanzania will be having three kinds of travelling documents, including Tanzania passport, the recently introduced East African passport and the AU one,” he said.
Having access to hold multiple travelling documents would cause confusion among the public on when and what time should each passport be used.
According to him, the new document would embolden Africans as one, and its use would unlock the limited access of the East African passport for EAC citizens when travelling within the continent.
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