Government is exploring the possibility of increasing fees for passport acquisition processes to guarantee the delivery of enhanced services, according to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong.
Defending the proposed move at a press conference on passports and consular services, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong emphasized that Ghana’s current rates are considerably lower than those of other countries in the sub-region, even though they share the same passport supplier.
“… and even Togo; $40. Supplied by the same supplier who is supplying us with these passports. Ghanaian charges, we charge $8, meaning we are having to subsidize every passport. So, the money to buy the passports is being used to subsidize the passports for Kwaku Manu. Until Kwaku Manu is prepared to pay the realistic passport fees, we will continue to have these problems,” he explained.
Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong went on to explain that there are intentions to modernize the kinds of passport that are currently in use in Ghana.
He continued by saying that price increases would follow automatically if this was done.
“And also, we are thinking of upgrading our passport from the biometric to the chip-embedded. So, the chip-embedded is going to cost more and if we continue sitting at the $8, we’ll continue to have the problems that we are having at the passport office, not what has been done by the officers over there. So, we have to brace ourselves, and when the discussions start, we’ll all have to get the picture that we need to pay the realistic fees to get the kind of service we are expecting,” he explained.
The recent surprise visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, to the Passport Office in Accra has reignited debates on the appropriate cost of acquiring passports for citizens.
Expressing displeasure at the presence of individuals within the office engaged in overpricing and exploiting unsuspecting applicants, the minister took decisive action by dismissing certain staff members seconded to the Passport Office.
Reports indicate that those dismissed were implicated in corrupt practices.
“Reports that officers, and there are nine or so agencies represented in any passport application centre… these people are involved in illegal activities, and when I say illegal activities, we know just two days ago the report in Daily Guide that the issue of goro people involved in our passport acquisition process has become rife. It is wrong.
“How can 100 Ghana for standard service of passport acquisition and 150 for expedited service be bumped up to 2,000 and 3,000? I hear they don’t even charge 2,000 now; they are charging 3000 and it is wrong.
“But I can say and we all will agree that a goro person is outside the passport office and they need somebody inside to work with, they cannot do it on their own, people are paying 2,000, 3,000 to acquire a passport, why should this be so?” she said.
While Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, addressed passport fees, GhanaWeb cross-checked the official ministry website for detailed information.
On the ministry’s website, the ‘Passports’ section provides specifics on fees, application types, passport application centers, and sample documents.
For Application Types, fees are outlined for various passport types: expedited application 48 pages at GH¢200, expedited application 32 pages at GH¢150, standard application 32 pages at GH¢100, and standard application 48 pages at GH¢150.
Additionally, the website lists the locations of passport offices nationwide.
- Proof of Profession:
- For employees: Introductory letter or work ID card.
- For students: Student ID.
- For homemakers, the unemployed, and those in non-formal employment: No proof required.
- For registered business owners and self-employed: Business registration certificate.