The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has hinted that time for delivery of passport to Ghanaians who subscribe to the premium service will be reduced to two hours.
Currently, it takes a minimum of 15 days when it is expedited and submitted at the premium passport application centre.
The online application process currently administered under the premium service option has been characterized by positive feedback from the public.
Speaking at a results fair organized by the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Habib Tijani said the integration of their systems with that of the National Identification Authority will help in achieving the objective of better turnaround time.
“We are making all efforts to reduce the premium to two hours when the National Identification cards are fully operationalized because all the information we will need to take into our data will be given to us by the National Identification Authority and eventually everything passports will be reduced to at most three hours.”
Government considering downward review of passport fees – Ayorkor Botchway
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, has revealed that the government is working towards a reduction of the cost of acquiring passports .
This follows a directive from the President, according to the Minister, who was speaking at the opening of the Passport Application Center in Tokyo, Japan.
This development is a shift from the previous indications from the Ministry.
“His Excellency the President has tasked us to review the cost of Ghanaian passports downwards. We are in the process of doing this. It needs to go to Parliament because the House approves fees and charges.”
“We are processing it and then we will at some stage take it to Parliament and we are hoping that Parliament will approve the reduction of passport fees…because we know that acquiring a passport should not be a difficult process for you.”
In May 2019, the Minister said the government was eying an increase in the fees for acquiring a passport .
—citinewsroom
