VZCZCXRO4333
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBD #0069 0530724
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220724Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3729
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RULSJGA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000069 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/VO, EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS PREL BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI TO ISSUE BIOMETRIC PASSPORT IN FALL 
 
REF: 06 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 572 
 
¶1. (U) The Government of Brunei announced on Thursday, 
February 15 that it had awarded a contract for production of 
biometric-compliant e-passports to Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) 
of Germany.  G&D will partner with a the local firm ITPSS to 
equip Brunei's immigration department with necessary 
production equipment for the e-passport system. 
 
¶2. (U) Azmi Hj Hafneh, Assistant Director of the Immigration 
Department and project manager for the e-passport program, 
told us that he expects the first e-passports to be issued in 
early September of this year.  Azmi assured us that the GoB 
would provide the USG (and others) with exemplars and 
information on the new passport design's security features in 
late July or early August. 
SKODON