Government Considers Passport Fee Increase Amidst Supply Shortages

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration is contemplating a raise in passport application fees in the coming days, citing a scarcity of raw materials and equipment needed to meet the surging demand at the passport office.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, underscored the requirement for a fee adjustment, pointing to rising production costs and the current affordability compared to other West African countries.

He highlighted ongoing discussions with Parliament to ascertain and finalize the approved fees.

Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong expressed concern that Ghanaians currently pay $8, while citizens of neighbouring countries shell out approximately $40 for the same service.

Plans are underway to introduce chip-embedded passports in the second quarter of 2024 to bolster security in alignment with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

“Liberia charges $50, we charge $8, meaning we have to subsidize every passport. So the money to buy the printers is used to subsidize the passportshellip; And also, we are thinking of upgrading our passport from biometric to chip-embedded. So the chip-embedded version is going to cost more. If we persist charging at $8, we will persist to face the problems that we are having at the passport officehellip; So we have to raise the fees,” he said.