Question NW138 to the Minister of Home Affairs:
21 February 2022 - NW138
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
(1) Whether, with reference to the contract of VFS Global for the management of visa and permit applications, which will expire in December 2022, the bids for project manager and transaction advisor have been issued and awarded; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the remaining procurement steps and timelines that are in place in order to ensure a new public-private partnership service provider will take over from 1 January 2023; (2) what is the reason for the lack of an alternative review process other than a formal appeal via VFS even if an application was rejected due to a mistake on the side of his department?
Reply:
(1) The tender inviting bids for the appointment of transaction advisory services to conduct a feasibility study and public private partnership (PPP) procurement for visa and permit application centre services for a period of three years is currently on the Home Affairs website and will be closing on 25 February 2022.
The bid specifications for the appointment of a project officer for the management of the project for the procurement of visa and permit application centre services through a public private partnership (PPP) were approved by the Bid Specification Committee on 9 February 2022. The tender inviting bids for the Project Officer is expected to be published on the Department’s website on 18 February 2022.
(2) The Immigration Act and its Regulations stipulate that the Director-General may from time to time designate any place to receive applications. VFS is the appointed service provider to receive applications on behalf of the Department. Section 8(6) of The Immigration Act sates that “an applicant aggrieved by a decision of the Director-General contemplated in subsection (5) may, within 10 working days of receipt of that decision, make an application in the prescribed manner to the Minister for the review or appeal of that decision.
Appeals, similar to all visa and permit applications, must be submitted through an office designated by the Director-General. Visa Application Centres operated by VFS are such designated offices.
END