The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Reintegration has adamantly stated that there will be no reconsideration of the recent adjustments to passport application fees.
This announcement comes in response to remarks made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and MP for North Tongu, who called for a reversal of the new passport application fees, describing them as excessively harsh.
Effective April 1, the Foreign Affairs Ministry raised the application fees for passport services to GH¢500 for a 32-page standard booklet and GH¢644 for a 48-page standard booklet.
Additionally, expedited services are now priced at GH¢700 for the 32-page option and GH¢800 for the 48-page option.
In reply to the demands for a review of the fee increases by Ablakwa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, reiterated that the fees would remain unchanged.
Addressing journalists, Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong stated, “With the support of the majority of Ghanaians, it has come to stay. There is nothing he can do about it. He can make his noise out there. If he wants to bring it to Parliament, we will meet him on the floor of Parliament, we will discuss it and will debate it.”
“And at the end of the day, I can bet my last Cedi he will fall flat on his face. The reason why we are introducing this, like I said, principally, is the fact that we need to invest and improve service delivery.”
