Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister nominee for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has revealed that there is a backlog of over 70,000 uncollected passports.
The minister-designate noted that there have been so many complaints about how difficult it is to get passports.
He revealed that there are over 70,000 passports that have not been collected.
Speaking before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, January 31, Hon Ablakwa detailed, “The other thing that I want to reform is our passport regime. There are too many complaints about how difficult it is to get passports and to get them in good time.
“I have been going through some briefs, and I noticed that we have a backlog of over 70,000 passports that have not been collected. Then there are issues with the middlemen, ‘goro’ boys and all of that”, he added.
Hon Ablakwa further added, “I recall the former Foreign Minister, the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, storming the passport office in frustration and saying that, ‘look, this crisis cannot continue”.
“I would like to use technology to reform our passport regime. I don’t think that we should still be requiring Ghanaians who have a Ghana Card to go to the passport office for their biometrics”, he revealed.
