Accra, Aug. 18, GNA – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced hotlines for the public to report unsatisfactory services during passport acquisition.
The Ministry in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said it had observed with grave concern complaints by some passport applicants about extortion and mistreatment meted out to them at some Passport Application Centres (PACs).
It said in an effort to deal with the situation, the Ministry was urging applicants who suffer any mistreatment or extortion to report such incidents to the following email address and mobile numbers with the names of the Officers and the PACs for redress through the email : [email protected].
The mobile contacts include: 024-091-3284; 024-079-3072; 020-458-2056; 020-455-2750; 026-804-9831; and 026-979-4871.
The statement said the Ministry further reminded the public that passport applications were made on the passport application portal — passport.mfa.gov.gh and payment for the approved processing fees for the passport was made on the ghana.gov.gh platform based on the following: 32-page booklet – GHC 100.00 and 48-page booklet – GHC 150.00
It noted that the payment is made electronically and not by cash.
“As part of measures to be implemented, all officers will be made to wear name tags,” the statement said.
“The public is thereby advised not to engage any person who is unable to identify themselves with the issued name tags, as they most likely are middlemen, usually referred to as “goro boys”.”
It said the Ministry further urges passport applicants to always use the official channel to acquire their passports and desist from engaging unauthorised persons in the passport application process.
It said furthermore, officers who had already served more than a year at the PACs would be replaced with immediate effect and the Ministry’s policy of the yearly rotation at the PACs would be enforced to the letter.
It said the public was advised to note that applications submitted to the regular PACs do not come at an extra cost.
“However, applicants have the option of submitting their applications to the Premium PACs, which attract an additional GH@ 150.00 payable in cash at the Premium Centres for the use of their service,” it said.
The statement reiterated that the Ministry was counting on the cooperation of the public in addressing this menace.
GNA