The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa, has announced plans to establish passport application centers in all 16 regions of Ghana. This initiative aims to alleviate the pressure on the existing application facility in Accra, which has been facing high demand and long processing times.
Ablakwa made this announcement while responding to questions in Parliament on Thursday, March 12. He emphasized that decentralizing passport application services will make it easier for Ghanaians across the country to access and process their travel documents without needing to travel to the capital. Although there are currently no immediate plans to establish passport application centers at the district level, Ablakwa stated that the government believes regional offices will be sufficient to meet the needs of citizens.
“Our plan now is to regionalise and make sure we have passport application centers in all the 16 regions of Ghana. We do not currently have plans to have district offices. “We take the view that the reforms we are carrying out, the delivery, the 24-hour operations, reducing the waiting period and all of that, should suffice once you have regional offices and the courier service will make sure that your passport is delivered to you wherever you are in the region.”
Currently, the primary passport application center in Accra handles an overwhelming number of applicants daily. Many citizens from different parts of the country are forced to travel long distances to submit their applications, leading to increased costs, congestion, and long waiting periods. There have also been complaints about inefficiencies, including delays in processing and difficulty in securing appointments.
By: Sammi Wiafe
