With the rumors spreading that the Immigration department will hike passport fees, and other documents, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has confirmed the rumors to be true. The Department’s spokesperson Joseph Chauwa told Malawi News Agency (Mana) that passport fees are some of the revisions that the department had proposed.

Chauwa justified the hike, saying that the last time the department hiked the passport fees, $1 was at K480, compared to K800 five years later, as the materials to process a passport are also costly. Chauwa said the the hike would free the government from paying for the materials, as the current price of a passport does not cater for the materials.

Still at K48,500 the passport fees will be increased if the Treasury approves of the proposal. Speculation says that the amount may double but not exceed more than that.