Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has announced that the price of the Ordinary Passport booklet is set to be reduced from GH¢ 500 to GH¢ 350.
The minister had earlier stated that GHC500 passport application fees too expensive are too expensive for the ordinary Ghanaian.
According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, people were complaining about passport fees when they toured the country.
Ablakwa revealed, that the government plans to reduce passport acquisition fees.
On February 19, the Foreign Affairs minister paid a working visit to the Passport Office in Accra and stated, “Passport application fees have become too expensive for the ordinary Ghanaian. People are complaining, and when we toured the country, they told us they want us to do something about it,”
“We want to take a second look at the structure. We will go back to Parliament to amend the fees and charges. Our goal is to reduce fees for ordinary Ghanaians and make passports more affordable”, he added.
Ablakwa stated that he believes passports should be made free for brilliant but needy students on scholarships.
“I also believe that certain groups, like brilliant but needy students on scholarships, should be able to acquire passports for free”, he added.
Ablakwa however clarified that business professionals and entrepreneurs who require premium services would not benefit from the reduced fees.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament House on Thursday, March 13, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated, “In our effort to make passports more accessible to all Ghanaians, and per instructions I have received from His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, we are pleased to announce the reduction of the ordinary passport booklet, that is the 32-page booklet from the GH₵500 to GH₵350,” he said.
He said his outfit will shortly be in Parliament to undergo the needed legislative procedures to ensure that “this reduction is approved”.
Ablakwa further hinted that a committee would be set up to review efforts to phase out the current booklet and replace it with chip-embedded copies that were initiated by the Akufo-Addo Bawumia administration.
Meanwhile, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also announced the passport office will work day, night and dawn shifts to significantly reduce passport processing times in Ghana.
The Minister indicated that the reform will ensure the Ministry operates 24 hours a day, reducing the current waiting period of three to four weeks to just a week.
According to him, this initiative is part of a broader plan to streamline passport services and enhance efficiency nationwide, and also lead to the realization of the 24 hour economy policy.
“Passport administration in Ghana is going to run 24/7 under President Mahama’s 24-hour economy policy. We will introduce three shifts so that instead of waiting months for a passport, applicants can receive theirs within a week,” he stated.
You have also heard about our big reforms that we want to carry out. We want the Passport Administration in our country to become a 24-hour operation,” he stated.
“This year [2025], you need to stand and get ready, prepare yourselves. We’re going to run three shifts. We want to cut down on the waiting time for passports.”
“We believe that within a week, it should be possible to get a Ghanaian passport when you apply for it. The 24-hour economy intervention we’re making will address that,” he added.
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