Politicians in the Justice Committee are calling for answers about the passport crisis in Norway 

Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB

According to the newspaper Klassekampen, the Justice Committee is not satisfied with the fact that Thales was given the responsibility for Norwegian passport production even though they were considered the worst in the tender competition in 2016.

“It is very problematic that the company, which was not considered competitive in the tender round due to poor quality, still ended up as a supplier of Norwegian passports,” Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik, who sits on the Justice Committee in the Storting for the Liberal Party (V), told Klassekampen.

On Thursday, Klassekampen reported that the French company Thales, which is now struggling to deliver passports to Norwegians, was thrown out of the tender competition in 2016 as they were considered the worst option.

But in 2019, they bought the supplier who got the billion contract and managed to secure the responsibility for Norwegian passport production.

A letter to Mehl

Thorsvik now wants clarity in the assessments made in 2019, and on Thursday, she sent a letter to the Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (SP) about the case.

Former Minister of Justice Per-Willy Amundsen, who also sits on the Justice Committee, believes the ministry must clarify whether this spring’s major delays and lack of delivery are factors that mean that the agreement with Thales should be terminated.

“If there is reason to terminate the agreement, we must do so and put in place Norwegian production,” he said.

He added that passport production must, in the future, take place in Norway and that there must also be stock in the country in the event of problems with raw material supply. The SV and Rødt also want passport production in Norway.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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