Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, advised that individuals unable to afford a passport should avoid applying for one.
She emphasised that passports are no longer the primary means of identification and pointed to the National Identification system as a more effective alternative during a discussion with reporters.
Ms Botchwey stated, “Today, as we speak, we have the National Identification that is working very well, so that’s our primary source of identification. No longer the passport.
“And even those who have the National ID can travel into the country with it. So, then I’m humbly asking Ghanaians that please, if you do not need a passport and because you cannot afford it, please, humbly, I’m asking you not to go for a passport because it’s no longer your primary source of identification,” she added.
Expressing concern over the government’s subsidy of passport applications, she warned that quality services provided to Ghanaians might suffer if the subsidy continues.
“If the government is subsidising heavily, it’s difficult to provide any good services to Ghanaians,” she said.
She further pledged to collaborate with Parliament in case there is a need to reconsider passport fees, underscoring that such adjustments are not intended to impose financial strain on citizens.
The Ministry unveiled revised passport service fees starting from April 1, 2024, in accordance with the 2023 Fees and Charges regulations, L.I.2481.
The processing fee for a 48-page expedited passport now stands at GHS800, while a 32-page application carries a cost of GHS700.
She noted: “Fees come from the Parliament of Ghana. We make a presentation to them; we give them the bare facts of what it is. Parliament is aware of this and these charges came from Parliament. If Parliament decides, we should go back, we will have to look at it, it is Parliament that has decided and we will go by it.”