Communiqué: Semlex Europe claims for an independent audit to clarify responsibilities – Unabridged

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Communiqué: Semlex Europe claims for an independent audit to clarify responsibilities – Unabridged

1:36 CAT | 30 Aug 2017

South African President Jacob Zuma addresses his supporters after he survived a no-confidence motion in Cape Town, South Africa, August 8, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

The SEMLEX Europe SA claims for an independent audit to be conducted by a recognised audit company with professional experience, and all consultancy expenditures would be covered by SEMLEX, but the proposal has been rejected by the Mozambican Authorities.

Only this independent audit can determine responsibilities and liability of those who are failing to comply the contract, as well as identify failures that compromise the quality of production of the identification documents.

On October 1, 2009, the Mozambican Government signed a 10-year contract with SEMLEX Europe SA to provide secure solutions for citizens identification, using a complete resource for biometrics such as identity cards, travel documents, DIRE’s (Foreign Residents Identification Document) and border visas.

Under the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) contract, SEMLEX Europe SA is responsible for providing the tools (hardware, software and training) to enable Mozambican authorities to produce the documents by the end of the contractual agreement.

Also Read: Termination of Semlex contract: “Irreversible and non-negotiable,” Mozambique government says

However, the Mozambican authorities unilaterally terminated the contract on May 12, 2017, unjustifiably non legally, on the basis of an assessment not contractually established, although the production has been and continues to be conducted at a very high-level quality standards. The delayed payments by the Mozambican authorities have resulted in a debt of USD $ 45 million which continue to increase over the time.

SEMLEX Europe SA has never assumed and does not assume the responsibility, for importing data, performing validation, checking data and sending documents, tasks under responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior (included in the stage of receiving data until producing documents).

These facts mean that SEMLEX Europe SA categorically rejects the arguments used by the Mozambican authorities, on regard of quality, misspellings, configuration and delays in issuing identification documents.

Also Read: Semlex accuses Mozambican government of “illegal termination of contract”

The SEMLEX Europe SA also disclaims any responsibility for the problems in issuing travel documents for miners, for refugees and foreign nationals in cases of emergency as well as in the use and operation of the system by public officials and in the care of the equipment installed by the company.

SEMLEX Europe SA also declines any responsibility for the lack of productions capacity and the low levels of production and productivity of public officials in charge of performing tasks to comply with the clauses of the contract.

SEMLEX Europe SA reaffirms, despite the public declarations made by the Government of Mozambique, they work as a supplier and partner of the Mozambican authorities responsible for issuing identity cards, travel documents of various kinds, DIREs and visas for border.

Also Read: Mozambique: Government introduces new Border Policy

SEMLEX Europe SA has only three expatriate employees and a team of 25 Mozambican employees. Furthermore, SEMLEX Europe SA confirms the capacity building trainings conducted the capacity of training the Mozambique team.

SEMLEX Europa SA also underlines that it has no and never had a leading position in this project, where the responsibility of SEMLEX Europe SA begins with the reception of all information to be worked and ends in the production of the documents within a 72 hours timeframe.

Although the Mozambican authorities unilaterally terminated the contract on 12 May, SEMLEX Europe SA continues to receive orders to produce documents, which has never been paralyzed. The requested documents were produced without any delays and immediately delivered within the deadlines established to the Mozambican authorities. The quality of the documents was never questioned and the operational communication was never as good as in recent months.

Also Read: IDs, passports and DIREs: Report denounces weaknesses in Semlex production – Notícias

In mid-2016, SEMLEX Europe SA hoped to replace the existing hardware system throughout the country, but never had the opportunity to do so, given the positions taken by the Mozambican authorities.

SEMLEX Europe SA states that it does not avoid its responsibilities and reaffirms that have taken immediate action and measures and terminated the contract of Belgian employee who has acted incorrectly according to the Mozambican Law and has incorrectly used the system to produce his own DIRE, act detected by the immigration authorities. Therefore, no action was taken by the Mozambican authorities and the official in question eventually embarked for the foreigner using his passport.

What is the BOT Contract (Build, Operate, Transfer)?

SEMLEX Europe SA makes all the necessary investments on behalf of the client for the creation of the project, supports all the running costs of the project and carries out the maintenance of the project without the client having to bear any own cost to the project (with the exception of certain costs agreed between the two parties such as the availability of State officials).

Furthermore, SEMLEX Europe SA is remunerated with part of the revenues from documents requests provided by the entitled authorities. The other part of the revenue is for the state.

Under this mechanism, the State do not invest and also receives part of the revenue provided SEMLEX Europe SA through a reliable identification system, as well as highly protected official biometric documents, fiduciary techniques and security systems with a logic of integration to meet and respond to the needs and expectations with the aim of increasing the level of security of identification documents development.

Through its professionalism, sense of teamwork and constant need for improvement, SEMLEX Europe SA was awarded in September 2013 with the attribution of the ISO 9001: 2008 Certification.

SEMLEX Europe SA operates in several countries in Africa, the company has contracts with the governments of Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Senegal and Guinea Bissau, where in the last one, the contract has just been renewed for another 10 years.

Maputo, August 29, 2017

Also Read: German Muhlbauer best rated for document business – O País

Source: Semlex via Ferro & Ferro Comunicação