diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml.jinja b/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml.jinja
index bf1691ad..a56bba2a 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml.jinja
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/publish.yaml.jinja
@@ -185,18 +185,20 @@ jobs:
       - name: Sleep to allow PyPI Index to update before proceeding to the next step
         uses: juliangruber/sleep-action@{% endraw %}{{ gha_sleep }}{% raw %}
         with:
-          time: 60s{% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
+          time: 90s{% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
       - name: Install from staging registry
         run: pip install --index-url https://test.pypi.org/simple/ --extra-index-url https://www.pypi.org/simple {% endraw %}{{ package_name | replace('_', '-') }}{% raw %}==${{ needs.get-values.outputs.package-version }}
       - name: Display dependencies
         run: pip list
       - name: Confirm library can be imported successfully
-        run: python -c "import {% endraw %}{{ package_name | replace('-', '_') }}{% raw %}"
+        run: python -c "import sys; print(f'Python version {sys.version}'); import {% endraw %}{{ package_name | replace('-', '_') }}{% raw %}"
 
   create-tag:
     name: Create the git tag
     if: ${{ github.event.inputs.publish_to_primary }}
     needs: [ install-from-staging ]
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # needed to push the tag
     runs-on: {% endraw %}{{ gha_linux_runner }}{% raw %}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
@@ -278,10 +280,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Sleep to allow PyPI Index to update before proceeding to the next step
         uses: juliangruber/sleep-action@{% endraw %}{{ gha_sleep }}{% raw %}
         with:
-          time: 60s{% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
+          time: 90s{% endraw %}{% endif %}{% raw %}
       - name: Install from primary registry
         run: pip install {% endraw %}{{ package_name | replace('_', '-') }}{% raw %}==${{ needs.get-values.outputs.package-version }}
       - name: Display dependencies
         run: pip list
       - name: Confirm library can be imported successfully
-        run: python -c "import {% endraw %}{{ package_name | replace('-', '_') }}{% raw %}"{% endraw %}
+        run: python -c "import sys; print(f'Python version {sys.version}'); import {% endraw %}{{ package_name | replace('-', '_') }}{% raw %}"{% endraw %}