the departure and arrival of passengers at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, he will, for…
(No. B/1189) Mr L. Caserne (Third Member for Port-Louis North & Montagne Longue) asked the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Finance, Minister for Rodrigues and Outer Islands whether, in regard to the departure and arrival of passengers at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain information as to – (a) the measures being envisaged to streamline the different processes thereat with a view to avoiding long queues, indicating, in each case, the timeframe for the implementation thereof, and (b) where matters stand as to the – 136 (i) implementation of a new border control management system, and (ii) introduction of the biometric passport.
Reply: Numerous representations have been made since a number of years by passengers and economic operators regarding delivery of various services and particularly long queues at the check-in and immigration counters, at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. My Government will soon be introducing a new E-Border Management System and the biometric passport, to improve immigration services. This new E-Border Management System will include, inter-alia, Advance Passenger Information system, biometric identification of passengers, real time border surveillance, automated border control gates for self-service eGates, risk profiling and eVisa. The new System will provide a fully integrated, digital and intelligence-driven platform for an enhanced travellers’ experience and contribute in positioning Mauritius as a trusted and efficient travel hub in the region. As regards the biometric passport, also known as e-Passport, it will incorporate biometric data stored in a microchip for easy recognition of the passport holder. Given that the new E-Border Management System and the biometric passport will be interfacing with each other, the technical specifications of both projects are being worked out concurrently. I am informed that, in the meantime, the following short-term measures have been taken by the Airports of Mauritius Co. Ltd to streamline the processes and to improve the overall preparedness at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport for the upcoming peak season – (i) optimization in allocation of check-in counters to airlines; (ii) dedicated lanes for priority passengers which include Business Class, First Class and passengers with special needs; (iii) coordination with the Airport Police for crowd management at entry gates to avoid congestion; (iv) deployment of additional screening staff; (v) enhanced coordination with ground handling teams to reduce delays in baggage handling and delivery, and (vi) modification and improvement of the carousel to enhance the delivery of arrival baggage. As I have stated in different fora, in order to be a first-class destination, we need to have a first-class airport. That is why my Government is coming up with projects which will
137 modernise the whole system and infrastructure of the airport by leveraging new technologies to enhance the passenger experience. CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW COMMISSION – NATIVE INCLUSION – OUTER ISLANDS SPECIFICITIES