Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa, has unveiled plans to establish passport application centers across all 16 regions of Ghana.
This initiative, according to him seeks to address the challenges faced by the sole application facility in Accra, which has been overwhelmed by high demand and long processing times.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, March 12, Ablakwa emphasized that decentralizing passport services will bring relief to Ghanaians, making it more convenient for citizens to access travel documentation without the need to travel to the capital.
While there are no current plans to extend these services to districts, the Minister assured that regional offices will suffice, complemented by ongoing reforms such as 24-hour operations and courier services to ensure prompt passport delivery.
“Our plan now is to regionalize and make sure we have passport application centers in all the 16 regions of Ghana. We take the view that the reforms we are carrying out—24-hour operations, reducing the waiting period, and all of that should suffice once you have regional offices and the courier service will make sure that your passport is delivered to you wherever you are in the region”.
