The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has hinted the need to raise passport application fees in the coming days due to a shortage of raw materials and equipment, aiming to meet the high demand at the passport office.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, mentioned the necessity, citing production costs and the current affordability compared to other countries in West Africa’s sub-region.
He indicated that there are ongoing discussions with Parliament to finalize approved fees.
Ampratwum-Sarpong lamented that Ghanaians were currently paying 8 dollars compared to other neighbors who paid about 40 dollars for the same service.
He added that there are plans to introduce chip-embedded passports in the second quarter of 2024 to enhance security in line with ICAO standards.
“Liberia charges $50, we charge $8, meaning we must subsidize every passport. So, the money to buy the printers is used to subsidize the passports… And we are thinking of upgrading our passport from biometric to chip embedded. So, the chip-embedded version is going to cost more. If we continue charging at $8, we will continue to face.
The Ministry earlier expressed deep concern regarding reports of extortion and mistreatment faced by certain passport applicants at various Passport Application Centers (PACs).
To address this pressing issue, the Ministry has established channels for affected applicants to report such incidents for prompt resolution.
Applicants who encounter mistreatment or extortion are encouraged to provide detailed information, including the names of officers and PAC locations, through the following communication channels: ipab@mfa.gov.gh, 024-091-3284, 024-079-3072, 020-455-2056, 020-455-2750, 026-804-9031, and 026-979-4871.
The Ministry emphasized that legitimate passport applications are processed through the official passport application portal, passport.mfa.gov.gh. Payments for approved processing fees are exclusively made through the ghana.gov.gh platform, with fees set at GH¢100.00 for the 32-page booklet and GH¢150.00 for the 48-page booklet. Importantly, all payments are electronic and not in cash.
As part of preventive measures, the Ministry announced that all officers at the PACs will be required to wear name tags, enhancing transparency and accountability. The public is cautioned against engaging with individuals who cannot present proper identification through issued name tags, as these intermediaries, commonly referred to as “goro boys,” are unauthorized.
Applicants are strongly advised to adhere to the official channels for passport acquisition and avoid involving unauthorized intermediaries in the application process. The Ministry underscored its commitment to improving the system by enforcing its policy of annual rotation for PAC officers. Officers who have exceeded a year of service will be promptly replaced.
It’s crucial to note that regular applications submitted through PACs do not incur additional charges. However, applicants have the option to utilize Premium PACs, with an added fee of GH¢150.00 payable in cash at the Premium Centers for their specialized services.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Belinda Quansah
