Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration,has made a proposal for an increase in the passport acquisition fee from GH¢100 to GH¢644.
The Minister for foreign affairs and Regional integration,Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey,while addressing the Parliament,highlighted the pressing need for the increase which she said was due to a deficit in passport booklet printing.
She noted that the current fee of GH¢100 per passport is not sufficient to cover the production cost, which amounts to GH¢400 for each passport booklet.
This results in a substantial deficit of GH¢300 for every passport issued, making it financially unsustainable for the government.
Addressing the Parliament, Botchwey emphasized the importance of realistic pricing, stating, “Ghanaians will pay realistic prices for passports.”
She urged the House to consider the proposal, currently under review by the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation.
The Minister pointed out that passports primarily serve those who require them for travel, as national ID cards as well as fulfilling identification purposes.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs presented a report on the 2024 budget estimates, highlighting a comparison of Ghana’s passport fees with those of other West African countries.
Ghana’s current rate of $7.7 was reported as the lowest in the sub-region, with countries like Cameroon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria charging significantly higher fees.
To address the backlog of passports, Minister Botchwey revealed plans to acquire a giant printer to expedite the processing of applications.
Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, justified the proposed fee increase by citing production costs and the need for alignment with regional standards.
Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong noted ongoing discussions with Parliament to finalize the approved fees, expressing concern about the disparity between Ghana’s low fee of $8 and the charges imposed by neighbouring countries, which range from $40 to $180.
He disclosed plans to introduce chip-embedded passports in the second quarter of 2024 to enhance security in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.
“Liberia charges $50, we charge $8, meaning we have to subsidize every passport. So the money to buy the printers is used to subsidize the passports.
“Also, we are thinking of upgrading our passport from biometric to chip-embedded. So the chip-embedded version is going to cost more. If we continue charging $8, we will continue to face the problems that we are having at the passport office… So we have to raise the fees,” he added.
