By Chol D. Johnson
The Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport, and Immigration (CRNPI) has reported significant operational delays due to inconsistent power supply from the Juba Electricity Distribution Company (JEDCO).
In an exclusive interview on Thursday, Maj. Gen. Elia Kosta Faustino, the director of CRNPI, stated that the directorate requires a 24-hour constant power supply to maintain the functionality of its systems and ensure the immediate production of national documents.
โOne of our biggest challenges here is the issue of power. Our system needs power 24 hours a day to flow smoothly and produce passports and nationality certificates without delay,โ Gen. Kosta explained.
This challenge surfaced shortly after the directorate procured and installed five advanced machines, two for passports and three for nationality documents, at its headquarters in Juba. Gen. Kosta urged the government to intervene and resolve the power crisis to facilitate a smoother workflow.
Kuch Khor, the CRNPI production planning and IT officer, noted that while the new technology has significantly increased processing speeds, the instability of the local grid remains a hurdle.
โThese machines are equipped with advanced technology for quick production, but JEDCO power frequently goes on and off, which interrupts our immediate output,โ Khor said.
Commenting on the situation, Emmanuel Lexson Dokolo, the program officer of the Citizen Network for Democracy, emphasised that reliable electricity is a non-negotiable requirement for effective service delivery and national security.
โReliable electricity in public institutions is a critical requirement for security and economic growth,โ Dokolo stated. โEven a short disruption can negatively impact operations and productivity. It is a fundamental input for any modern organisation.โ
Dokolo urged the government to prioritise a stable power supply for key institutions, particularly immigration offices, where citizens seek essential documents.
Power outages at the Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport, and Immigration (CRNPI) are currently hindering the production of national documents.
Despite the installation of five new advanced processing machines, officials say inconsistent electricity from JEDCO is causing major delays.