Stringent conditions imposed on visa applicants heighten the cost of travel and erode consumer welfare. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
The competition commission of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) has asked member states to review the practices of their visa processing agents, citing violations of the bloc’s regulations.
The commission said it has established a number of ‘stringent conditions’ imposed on visa applicants, which heightens the cost of travel and erodes consumer welfare.
Among the issues identified are holding applicants’ passports for extended periods than indicated; scheduling visa interviews for dates too close to or past expected time of travel; and charging applicants as high as $179 for interview appointments.
“The service of processing visa application by agents for which they receive a commission and money for the courier of passports is purely an economic activity that is conducted as a business with the objective of making profits and must therefore comply with the regulations,” the commission said Thursday.
Those affected were advised to report to their national competition and consumer agencies or the relevant government institutions.
No comments :
Post a Comment