The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced upward adjustments in its fees and charges for services.
This is effective Monday, April 1, 2024.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration wishes to inform its valued clients that, in accordance with the fees and charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023 (L.I 2481).
“There will be an adjustment in the fees and charges for all services provided by the ministry. The adjustment will take effect from Monday, 1st April 2024,” a statement from the ministry said.
In view of that, the processing fee for an expedited 48-page passport now costs GH₵800, while the 32-page application costs GH₵700.
A standard application for 32 pages costs GH₵ 500.00, while a standard application for 48 pages is GH₵ 644.00.
“Ghanaians pay just about GH¢100 for a passport. To produce one passport booklet, it costs GH¢400, which means that for every passport an applicant acquires, the government has to put in GH¢300, which is not sustainable,” she said.
She 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, Ms Botchwey noted that the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation was considering the proposal.
“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 are those who need them to travel, and I don’t think that they would want us to continue to subsidize it,” she said.
Below is the statement
