MINISTER of Homeland Security Roger Alexander said Trinidad and Tobago will transition from machine-readable passports to e-passports.The minister also made it clear that no company would be allowed to hold the ministry to ransom and that, going forward, there would be value for money and greater efficiency in the procurement of goods and services.“Under the PNM administration, certain immigration services providers would have neck-tied the immigration department and systems in a noose, so they will decide when the immigration department can or cannot breathe, as they supplied services at a cost—when compared to the other suppliers—that was of no benefit to the country and its people.“This government will not allow anyone to hold the country to ransom, as the back-up plans have already been engaged,” he said.Alexander refuted claims that passport processing was being intentionally slowed because the ministry was running low on its stock of machine-readable passports. He said he inherited the entire process in disarray, and recalled that investigations were continuing into allegations of corruption involving passport appointments, as well as applications for work permits and residency in Trinidad and Tobago.The minister said that, in keeping with the procurement process, the ministry would proceed with the introduction of e-passports, disclosing that three vendors have already submitted expressions of interest in response to advertisements.Alexander said digitising passport services and introducing e-passports would strengthen national security and enhance data-sharing both regionally and internationally.“It makes very little logical sense to bring more machine-readable passports when the world is transitioning to e-passports; we must not be left behind. Trinidad and Tobago is keeping up with the digital age and we intend to launch in the not-too-distant future a new system for travel,” he said.The minister further noted that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar established the Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence to ensure focused progress.He said that under this Government, Trinidad and Tobago has moved from the “dinosaur age” of paper-based immigration forms to electronic immigration forms. He added that these changes did not require “rocket science” but rather political will and decisive action.In May, the ministry published an Expression of Interest (EOI) on its website to upgrade the Immigration Division’s machine-readable passport (MRP) system to an electronic passport (e-passport) system. The deadline for submissions was June 19.The ministry stated that the EOI sought to identify private and public sector entities interested in providing services to “upgrade the passport issuing and control system from MRP to the e-passport issuing and control system.”The successful vendor must be able to develop and commission a fully functional online application system for e-passports, including online payment processing.