Nepal Supreme Court upholds passport contract for Veridos

The Supreme Court of Nepal has upheld the Department of Passports’ decision to award an e-passport printing contract to the German company Veridos. The ruling dismisses writ petitions filed by the French company IDEMIA, which had challenged the selection process through the Public Procurement Review Committee and subsequently the Supreme Court.

IDEMIA’s challenges included technical arguments regarding server requirements, the sufficiency of printing machines, and the official definition of the bid opening date. The court found the procurement process to be in accordance with the law. The contract, valued at approximately Rs 7.66 billion, involves two German companies: Veridos was selected for the production and personalisation of e-passports, while Muehlbauer ID Services was awarded the package for the eMRTDS system, including enrolment and data management.

Separately, the passport procurement process is under investigation by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) regarding corruption allegations. The anti-graft body has sought recovery and fines related to the case.