By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, says her ministry seeks to increase the current passport fees from GH¢100 to GH¢644.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, gave this hint in Parliament on Thursday, December 14, 2023, during an interview with some journalists.
According to her, Ghanaians currently pay just GH¢100 for a passport which she says does not cover the cost of production.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey explained that to produce one passport booklet costs the state GH¢400, which means that for every passport that an applicant acquires, the government has to put in GH¢300, and this according to her is not sustainable.
She further explained that the deficit in printing passport booklets was preventing the necessary investments in the Passport Office.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament before the approval of a GH¢1.127 million budget estimate for her ministry, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey noted that the proposal is currently being considered by the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation.
“On the cost of passports, it is not sustainable, therefore, I will plead with this honourable house to look at the issue for us. It is already before the subsidiary legislation committee, and I’m hoping that Ghanaians will pay realistic prices for passports. At the moment, passports don’t serve as IDs, we have national ID cards. Therefore, those who need passports need them to travel, and I don’t think that they would want us to continue to subsidize it,” She reiterated.
On the backlog of passports, she said her outfit is in the process of securing a giant printer to expedite the process.