KATHMANDU: If everything goes as planned, Nepalese traveling abroad will carry with them Machine-Readable Passports (MRP) by 2010.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs is all set to introduce the MRP by April, 2010, the final deadline laid down by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

In this light, MoFA has called the applications from international companies for a pre-qualification bid for security printing, supply and delivery, installation of equipments and preparation of MRP.

Should Nepal fail to introduce MRP within the set deadline - April 2010- Nepalese will have to face many legal complications in the hands of border controllers and law enforcement agents when going for an overseas trip. The ICAO has made MRP obligatory with a view to curb the use of fake passports by travelers, officials at MoFA said.

“It sounds difficult to meet the deadline given the fact that there are just seven months left,” said an official, adding, “But we are working hard to meet the deadlines.”

The Ministry of Tourism had last year requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start printing the MRP but a lack of coordination between the two had delayed it.

Without having to manually print the information from the passports, electronic passport facilitates quick processing of information.