The
Maltese embassies abroad have invested in a new Consul On The Move (COTM)
toolkit through an investment of around €250,000 from the Ministry for Foreign
and European Affairs and Trade.
The
COTM programme caters for Maltese communities living abroad by providing
government services closer to their home, such as new
applications/renewals of passports, applications for citizenship and
registrations of birth/death/marriage certificates. This service is undertaken
in five countries: Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United
States and Canada.
The
new state-of-the-art COTM toolkit consists of a tablet which includes a camera,
fingerprint reader, passport scanner, signature pad, barcode
scanner and lighting. It incorporates all the 6 pieces of hardware that were
previously used into one unit weighing only 4kgs, in contrast to the previous
toolkit that weighed 15kgs. This improvement means that the toolkit is now more
portable, easily handheld, and occupies far
less space when required to be set up on a desk, facilitating the travel and
set-up process for the consuls on duty.
Due
to the increase in demand for these services, and upgrades in the information
system available for officials carrying out such visits, the Ministry felt it
necessary to change the COTM toolkit to a more practical device that optimises
the programme in terms of efficiency and usability.
The
new toolkit is also equipped with the improved latest
software updates and comes with a Wi-Fi feature. A sim card installation feature
is additionally available for 3G use. This offers the functionality of remote
support as well as the ability to issue passports when off-site.
The COTM programme is
an essential service offered by the ministry that conforms to the government’s vision to
have governmental services
closer to its citizens. With this new equipment, the ministry aims to
further improve the quality of service that is provided through the COTM programme, whilst
increasing efficiency and simplicity in its application.
