The Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) announced on Monday the successful completion of a sweeping modernization initiative, fundamentally transforming its operations to meet surging national demands and align with international standards. Director-General Selamawit Dawit made the statement during the inauguration of a two-day performance review meeting in Addis Ababa.
Director-General Selamawit acknowledged that the ICS previously grappled with significant hurdles due to outdated, manual systems that struggled to keep pace with both domestic needs and global benchmarks. However, a dedicated two-year reform push has yielded remarkable progress.
"These initiatives have collectively fostered improved accessibility, efficiency, responsiveness, and equity in our services," she stated on Monday. The transformation involved streamlining procedures, upgrading technological infrastructure, and enhancing staff training, culminating in a critical shift from a largely manual process to a digital platform. This transition has dramatically reduced bureaucratic delays and lengthy waiting times for citizens.
Among the key achievements, the ICS has successfully launched the e-passport system and significantly expanded its physical footprint by establishing new branches, all equipped with the necessary material and human resources.
Since embarking on these reforms in the Ethiopian year 2015, the service has substantially bolstered its operational capacity and overall service delivery efficiency. Highlighting impressive figures, Director-General Selamawit reported that in the last Ethiopian fiscal year (2017), the ICS issued a staggering 1.4 million passports. Furthermore, it facilitated services for 7.2 million travelers and generated revenue exceeding 34 billion birr.
The move to digital services has seen dramatic gains, with digital coverage surging from 61 percent in the prior year to an impressive 75 percent. Concurrently, customer satisfaction has markedly improved, rising from 55 percent to 70.4 percent.
Ethiopia has also successfully integrated into the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Public Key Directory system. This integration, Director-General Selamawit noted, has significantly enhanced the security and speed of electronic passport verification, further solidifying Ethiopia's standing in global travel security
