New Passport Application Fees Are Draconian- Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has condemned the newly rolled out passport acquisition fees as draconian and insensitivity on the part of the government of Ghana.

Intimating his disappointment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a social media post, he called for a reconsideration of the fees.

“As my NDC colleagues and I always maintained at the Foreign Affairs Committee, the current economic crisis and unprecedented high cost of living make it untenable to impose these draconian fees.

“We insisted at Committee that the worst case scenario could be a graduated approach when economic conditions improve but alas they ignored our advice and have gone ahead to impose these insensitive rates in one fell swoop.”

According to him, Parliament will revisit the matter when it reconvenes from recess.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a notice on April 1, 2024, announced an upward adjustment in fees for all their services, including passport application.

Their passport application website yesterday displayed new fees.

Currently, the 48-page expedited application which was GHC200 now goes for GHc800, while a 32-page expedited application which was GHC150 now goes for Ghc700.

Additionally, the 32-page standard application which was GHC100 is now Ghc500 with the formerly GHC150 for a 48-page standard application now GHc644.

In November 2023, the Ministry served notice for an increment in charges to address the challenges associated with the acquisition of passports in Ghana saying it had been unable to purchase more printers to augment the existing ones due to the subsidy it provides to applicants and thereby delaying their service to the public.

“We all need to pay the realistic dues to have the services that we expect,” Hon Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration remarked at a press briefing.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini