By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, March 14, GNA – Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has announced plans to establish passport application centres in all 16 regions of Ghana.
That, he explained will ease the burden on the existing passport application facility in Accra.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, decentralising passport application services will make it easier for Ghanaians across the country to access and process their travel documents without having to travel to the capital.
“Mr. Speaker, our plan now is to regionalise and make sure we have passport application centres in all the 16 regions of Ghana,” he said on the Floor of Parliament.
The Foreign Affairs Minister added that move was expected to reduce the congestion and long waiting periods currently experienced at the Accra facility, which handled an overwhelming number of applicants daily.
Citizens from different parts of the country are often forced to travel long distances to submit their applications, leading to increased costs and inefficiencies.
“Mr. Speaker, while there are no immediate plans to establish passport application centers at the district level, the government is confident that regional offices will be sufficient to meet the needs of citizens,” he said.
Mr. Ablakwa said the reforms being carried out, including 24-hour operations and reduced waiting periods, will suffice once regional offices were established.
Additionally, he told Parliament that a courier service will be implemented to ensure that passports are delivered to applicants wherever they are in the region. This move is expected to bring convenience and efficiency to the passport application process.
GNA
GRB