New Policy For Obtaining Passport In Ghana
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has suggested Ghanaian passport candidates use the net application service following complaints of a shortage of the paper-based (manual) passport Application Forms at industrial banks.
The online application service is obtainable at – www.passports.mfa.gov.gh or www.passport.mfa.gov.gh.
The online application service is a part element of an e-Government strategy, that is targeted at making certain the employment of data technology to produce citizens with economical and effective passport services through a secure, quick and convenient means.
It is conjointly aimed toward injecting potency and reliability in passport service delivery and eliminate the present difficulties that have bedeviled passport acquisition in Ghana.
In a statement issued in Accra on Thursday, November 1, 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has followed public concerns that there was a shortage of manual forms in the system.
It said the introduction of the online version [PDF] forms part of measures to make passport forms readily accessible to all Ghanaians and that from November 1, 2018, more focus is on the online version.
The online application service is anticipated to help reduce the involvement of middlemen in the passport acquisition process; reduce typographical errors and shorten the data capturing procedures currently carried out at the passport application centers as well as speed up the workflow for the passport processing and enhance passport service delivery.
According to the Ministry, helping to eliminate middlemen popularly known as ‘Goro boy’s whose illegal activities have perpetuated bribery and corrupt activities within the passport acquisition processes, is one of the focus of the online system.
Fees
The general public by the new arrangement can still pay for the processing fee, GHC50 for regular and GHC100 for express, except that payment can only be made by an electronic means.
“The public is hereby to note that payment of the processing fee for the PDF form can only be made electronically”, the statement said, adding that payment can be made via mobile money (MTN, Vodafone) and Visa or MasterCard.
Shortage of Passport Booklets
The statement also said that the Ministry in its quest to forestall the frequent shortage of passport booklets is assisting the Passport Office to adopt a number of steps including improvements in procurements as a way of arresting the situation.
The Ministry expressed concern about the delays in passport processing, which has been identified as most applicants’ inability to provide accurate and verifiable data or information.
“The ministry, therefore, entreats all applicants to ensure the information they provide on the application form is accurate to ensure speedy processing of passports”, the statement pointed out.
It warned that applicants would be held liable should it turn out that they provided misleading information.
Unclaimed Passports
The Ministry, the statement stressed was equally worried about the significant number of completed passports which have not been collected.
It added that all applicants who applied before September 15, 2018, but have not collected their passports can check from the Ministry’s website www.mfa.gov.gh, the list of uncollected passports and make plans to collect them.
“The Ministry is also appealing to Ghanaians to endeavor to apply for a Passport when they have a need for it”, the statement counseled.
IMPORTANT: Ghana Passport Office Address and Contacts
