Idah Mhetu

GOVERNMENT has hiked, with immediate effect, passport application fees by between 130 and 190 percent in attempts to clear a ballooning passport backlog now hovering around 400 000.

This was announced Tuesday at a post-cabinet meeting by Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa.

Application fees for an ordinary passport have been increased from $53 to $150 while an emergency passport which cost $253 is now costs $600.

Cabinet has approved the payment of passports in foreign currency by Zimbabweans with “free funds”.

Among some of the measures introduced by cabinet to clear the backlog, Treasury will avail US$1 million, US$6 796 500; 580 200 Euros and ZW$11 781 900 towards meeting the cost of clearing the backlog.

The passport backlog is currently sitting at 400 000.