The New Zealand government says it will conduct a further inquiry to determine the exact total cost of the Biometric Capability Upgrade (BCU) project that was terminated late last year. This latest independent audit call seeks to ensure that all expenditure related to the BCU project is scrutinized and fully accounted for, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said in a news release on July 29. The BCU is a seven-year technology initiative that was designed to modernize border security biometrics as part of Immigration New Zealand’s border management upgrade within the framework of the country’s broader digital transformation push. However, the project was halted at the end of last year without delivering any functional systems or palpable impact. The review uncovered evidence that a further NZ$6 million (US$3.5 million) may be tied to the project.