In today's PICA Corner, we continue last week's focus on passports and the newly implemented services at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA). We will also address concerns that were brought to our attention by members of the public.

Why are books printed overseas and not in Jamaica? Wouldn't it be cheaper to have the passport books done locally?

Blank passport books are printed overseas for use locally. The design and security features contained in a passport must be done by a supplier who is part of, and approved by, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for the printing of secure documents and notes. All member-states or countries producing machine-readable passports must abide by the recommendations of the ICAO. To our knowledge, there is no company in Jamaica that meets the requirements and standards of security set out by the ICAO.

The printing of secured documents is a highly specialised activity and necessitates the printing of large volumes in order to benefit from economies of scale. A supplier in Jamaica, if qualified, would need to be well established in order to compete successfully with other suppliers in First-World countries.

How do books in Jamaica compare with other passports around the world?

Despite the recent price increases, the cost of a Jamaican passport compares favourably with the cost of passports in other jurisdictions. This comparison is outlined in the table on B8.

Additionally, the validity period for books in the territories shown is less than the period offered for a Jamaican passport. The island remains among few countries that continue to offer a 10-year validity period for the document as opposed to a five-year lifespan for passports in more than 40 countries worldwide. Also, the island's passport provides customers with more pages per book than in many other jurisdictions, with adult and children's passports carrying 50 and 34 pages, respectively.

During the recent rush by persons wishing to obtain a passport at the old price, why did PICA arrange for the towing of customers' vehicles?

There is no truth to the claim that PICA was responsible for the towing of vehicles around its premises. We were advised that operators of nearby businesses complained about persons leaving cars in their parking lots and warned that vehicles would be towed if they were not removed. It is possible that vehicles were towed at the request of neighbouring business owners, not PICA.

Why didn't PICA make adequate provision for the anticipated expansion in demand for passport services from its office?

In announcing the price increases, we did anticipate that we would have an increase in the number of persons applying for passports. As such, certain systems were put into place, and equipment and staff were pulled from other sections of the agency to assist with the processing of applications. We added more processing points on the compound in order to get through the number of applicants awaiting service.

Also, PICA rented additional chairs, tents and portable toilets for clients and ensured that an ambulance and first-aid service were put into place. Our staff worked well beyond normal hours and even on the weekend to accommodate clients and to ensure that we delivered at our agreed turnaround time.

Though we ensured that all of these measures were in place, we recognise that it was still not enough to facilitate the equally large number of persons that queued up outside. This is because, even on a normal day, our facility is just not adequate to comfortably accommodate all our customers.

For the three days that PICA had a rush on its offices, the agency served on average 2,000 customers per day in a facility that usually accommodates a maximum of 500 on a given day. It is as a result of this obvious physical constraint that we desire to relocate to a more spacious environment to allow us to better accommodate and serve our clients.

PICA Corner is a collaboration between The Gleaner and the Passsport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency. Send questions, comments and suggestions to editor@gleanerjm.com and PICA will respond.