The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration is considering raising passport application costs in the coming days, citing a shortage of raw materials and equipment required to satisfy the passport office’s growing demand.
Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, emphasized the need for a fee adjustment, citing increased production costs and the country’s existing affordability in comparison to other West African countries.
He emphasized the ongoing talks with Parliament to identify and finalize the agreed fees.
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Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong raised worry that Ghanaians now pay $8 for the same service, whereas people of neighboring nations spend around $40.
To improve security and comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements, plans are in the works to implement chip-embedded passports in the second quarter of 2024.
“Liberia charges $50, we charge $8, meaning we have to subsidize every passport. So the money to buy the printers is used to subsidize the passports… And also, 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 problems that we are having at the passport office… So we have to raise the fees,” he said.
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