WRITTEN ON October 24th, 2008 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Foundation of Trust, Identity, What do we want?
You know those new, super-secure, RFID-enabled passports the US is issuing to its citizens? They’re manufactured and assembled offshore, in sometimes-unstable regions, the blanks are shipped around using unsecured couriers, and they’re sold to US citizens at an 85 percent profit. I feel safer already.
Each new e-passport contains a small computer chip inside the back cover that contains the passport number along with the photo and other personal data of the holder. The data is secured and is transmitted through a tiny wire antenna when it is scanned electronically at border entry points and compared to the actual traveler carrying it.
Leaving aside the question of whether similar security weaknesses apply to UK passports, this raises the question of what our mark up is.
The British public sector is by some stretch the most commercially innovative in Europe, and is more grasping and rapacious than people realise. For example, it takes national insurance off everyone all their lives, but there is no fund – it just spends it. Our national pensions crisis is a plane crash in the desert, and the public servants have long since run off with all the water.
Last time I did some sums and some sniffing around on passports I reckoned these were costing IPS rather less than £4 each (maybe £3.50). But we have to pay from £72-£123 for adult passports, and an absurd £46 for the quite unnecessary children’s passports. (I also gather that when the Minister learned how much it would cost for his whole family he threw a tantrum and was given a while set for his family for free at the launch event of the new system).
So tne British government markup is somewhere between 94% and 97%. That’s way more than the US figure. That’s partly because IPS gets a good deal from its supplier (which I think is SBS/Siemens) and partly because they’re shameless about charging rip-off prices.
The grotesque margin, which only an unaccountable monopolist could achieve, goes to pay for public-sector pensions, the staff who – one hopes – are polite and helpful when you’re applying for these damn things, and for the bossy, introspective and groupthink-indulgent policy and PR people who promote the surveillance state agenda in matters of identity and the database state. Oh, and for chief executives hired from Ack-Sent-Your. Oh, and for ID Cards and the national ID register. And for the enquiries and reports into isolated incidents of data loss or illegal immigrants working on Ho Moffiss’ front desk. This is far from Ideal.
Say it ain’t so, James.
*Sigh*
Wibbi:
- I got over my aversion to Accenture. I must confess I had a milk round interview with them (or Andersen as they were called pre-Enron and before the even greedier consultants broke away from the greedy accountants) and they were pretty unimpressed by me. I didnt pursue my application. Hey, my mate Ben works there, so they most be a bit cool. But, but, but…how can you welcome to the bosom of public service an organisation where the US bosses will never fly over for strategic planning sessions, only for sales meetings?
- There were more transparency in goverment expenditure under PFI so the cost of passports (which I’m reasonably confident I’ve got right) was a matter of public knowledge and, if necessary, of debate.
- The Home Office were supported by us in their difficult job. It cant be easy. Hi guys.
- The Home Office were able to do their work inspired by notions of “Freedom not Fear”
- Passports were a llama-load cheaper, like £25, and kids didnt have to have them.
- We could go abroad without passports anyway
- Our “journey” through immigration into and out of Britain were designed to be as convenient and respectful as possible.
- We didnt have to show passports to leave the country (just let us out of here, you oppressive control phreaks!)
