A technical team of Orell Füssli Security (OFS) Printing Limited, in Switzerland has arrived in the country to install latest e-visa equipment at the Ghana Immigration Service and designated Ghana Missions abroad.
The installation of the new e-visa system corresponds with the present best practice regarding the enhancement of greater efficiency, data security, accountability of consular revenues and for the safety of national security.
Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said this on Tuesday at the opening ceremony for the Site Acceptance Test visit by the technical team of the company for the implementation of the e-visa system.
The test is expected to be performed on Thursday July 21, 2022, at the Ghana Immigration Service headquarters.
Ghana, in February 2020, signed a Technical Support Agreement with OFS and TGN Digital Security Limited for the supply of machine-readable visa stickers and the deployment of an e-visa hardware personalisation system for the installation of the system.
Madam Botchwey said in furtherance of the implementation of the agreement, following the Factory Acceptance Test visit, the existing service providers had successfully integrated their systems with that of the OFS for the deployment of the new visa system.
“There were initial pilot runs of the system at our Berne and Copenhagen Missions (smaller Missions) following the integration exercise,” she added.
With the arrival of the technical team for the installation of the system, the Minister said the country was ready for the deployment of the system at the designated Missions abroad, starting with the bigger Missions in London and Berlin.
Madam Botchwey welcomed the on-site training of the Ghana Immigration officers on the management and operation of the system.
“It is my expectation that the visit would pave the way for the smooth deployment of the new hardware systems in our Missions abroad to ensure efficient delivery of visa services to applicants,” she added.
Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the Controller General of the Ghana Immigration Service said the Service had taken delivery of the visa stickers, three visa issuing stations and the server equipment for the project.
The visa stations and server equipment, he stated, would be installed by the close of the week at the Airport and the Service’s Data Centre.
Mr Geoffray Raymond, Head, OFS Team, expressed happiness about the partnership and was confident that the installation would be completed by the end of the week.
Malawi, Benin, Nigeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, among others are implementing the e-visa system.