Kathmandu, Nov. 7 -- The government has expedited negotiations with German and French companies simultaneously to ensure that the country does not face a passport crisis, particularly after December.

With passport stocks dwindling and scarcity looming in the new year, Prime Minister Sushila Karki personally led rounds of talks with ministers, government officials, the German ambassador, and local representatives of IDEMIA, which supplied passports to Nepal from 2010 until last August.

Tirtha Raj Aryal, director general at the Department of Passports (DoP), told the Post that they have received proposals and are in talks with both German and French companies to secure a deal, but did not divulge details.

Current stocks will meet demand ...