Biometric systems will be introduced at land ports in
2017 following the introduction of the technology at some airports‚ the
Department of Home Affairs said on Friday.
In December 2015‚ the department introduced the biometric capturing of travellers at four international airports
— OR Tambo‚ Cape Town‚ King Shaka and Lanseria.
"Biometric capturing enhances our capacity to uniquely identify individuals and confirm the identity of travellers with the highest possible degree of certainty‚ security and efficiency‚" said Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni.
"Although it has increased the processing time per traveller‚ it remains a key component in order to protect our national security. To improve facilitation‚ South African citizens have been automatically exempted from this process.
"Further roll-out at major identified land ports of entry is work in progress and‚ by the end of the 2016-17 financial year‚ it is projected that at least six high-volume ports of entry will be ready to assist travellers arriving from Southern African Development Community (Sadc) states."
Apleni said 90% of people entering the country via land ports were Sadc nationals‚ and the introduction of the biometric capturing system at these entry points would have far-reaching effects in creating a record of foreign nationals who have entered South Africa.
But there are also problems in implementing the technology‚ he said.
"The true state of efficiency that this technology affords is‚ however‚ impeded by the austerity measures imposed on the department by National Treasury‚ to the effect that no further recruitment of human resource capacity is authorised for the foreseeable future."
Apleni earlier said the department did not have enough personnel to deal with the rise in the number of people arriving for processing at OR Tambo International Airport — the average number of travellers cleared per month increased from 668,882 in 2015 to 669,621 in 2016.
This increase in demand had put pressure on the 87 immigration counters at the airport.
"Even with 100% staff attendance‚ not all the counters can be fully staffed. A 100% attendance is not attainable due to normal human resources factors‚" Apleni said.
"We are currently managing a four-shift system per week‚ reinforcing our day shift to deal with terminals experiencing a high volume of travellers. This translates into a situation where more than 40% of our immigration counters cannot be operational at peak periods‚ given limited staff capacity and the need to balance shift operations over a 24-hour cycle."
Earlier this week‚ it was reported that incoming passengers experienced waits of 3-4 hours at understaffed biometric capturing system checkpoints at OR Tambo International Airport.
Comair CEO Erik Venter said the airlines in his stable were "constantly having to re-accommodate" international passengers who miss connecting flights".
"It’s actually becoming quite severe because people who are coming in from foreign flights are ending up standing in the queues for so long that they end up missing their connecting flights‚" he said.
"We are getting quite a bad reputation overseas with the tour operators and the travel agents who are actually telling people about this, and we don’t see how many people end up deciding not to come to South Africa."
TMG Digital
In December 2015‚ the department introduced the biometric capturing of travellers at four international airports
— OR Tambo‚ Cape Town‚ King Shaka and Lanseria.
"Biometric capturing enhances our capacity to uniquely identify individuals and confirm the identity of travellers with the highest possible degree of certainty‚ security and efficiency‚" said Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni.
"Although it has increased the processing time per traveller‚ it remains a key component in order to protect our national security. To improve facilitation‚ South African citizens have been automatically exempted from this process.
"Further roll-out at major identified land ports of entry is work in progress and‚ by the end of the 2016-17 financial year‚ it is projected that at least six high-volume ports of entry will be ready to assist travellers arriving from Southern African Development Community (Sadc) states."
Apleni said 90% of people entering the country via land ports were Sadc nationals‚ and the introduction of the biometric capturing system at these entry points would have far-reaching effects in creating a record of foreign nationals who have entered South Africa.
But there are also problems in implementing the technology‚ he said.
"The true state of efficiency that this technology affords is‚ however‚ impeded by the austerity measures imposed on the department by National Treasury‚ to the effect that no further recruitment of human resource capacity is authorised for the foreseeable future."
Apleni earlier said the department did not have enough personnel to deal with the rise in the number of people arriving for processing at OR Tambo International Airport — the average number of travellers cleared per month increased from 668,882 in 2015 to 669,621 in 2016.
This increase in demand had put pressure on the 87 immigration counters at the airport.
"Even with 100% staff attendance‚ not all the counters can be fully staffed. A 100% attendance is not attainable due to normal human resources factors‚" Apleni said.
"We are currently managing a four-shift system per week‚ reinforcing our day shift to deal with terminals experiencing a high volume of travellers. This translates into a situation where more than 40% of our immigration counters cannot be operational at peak periods‚ given limited staff capacity and the need to balance shift operations over a 24-hour cycle."
Earlier this week‚ it was reported that incoming passengers experienced waits of 3-4 hours at understaffed biometric capturing system checkpoints at OR Tambo International Airport.
Comair CEO Erik Venter said the airlines in his stable were "constantly having to re-accommodate" international passengers who miss connecting flights".
"It’s actually becoming quite severe because people who are coming in from foreign flights are ending up standing in the queues for so long that they end up missing their connecting flights‚" he said.
"We are getting quite a bad reputation overseas with the tour operators and the travel agents who are actually telling people about this, and we don’t see how many people end up deciding not to come to South Africa."
TMG Digital
No comments:
Post a Comment