This is poor logic – Kpebu on reason for increasing passport application fees

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said that the government exercised poor judgment in increasing the passport application fees.

He described the 400 percent increment in the fees as draconian.

“This is poor logic and poor judgment, to increase it from GHS100 to GHS500,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, April 6.

He said he was “expecting anything not exceeding 100 percent, from GHS100 cedis to GHS200.

“Because they have mismanaged the economy they want to find ways to raise money, this is a form of taxation.”

Also speaking on the same show, a Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo said that he was in favour of the increment in the passport application fees.

Given that the cost of production has increased, he said, an increment in the fees was expected.

However, he said, he had a problem with the margin of increment, after stating that it was too high.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry, in an April 1 statement, announced the increase in application fees for all passport categories.

The fee increment has seen a 32-page standard passport move from GHC100 to GHC500 and GHC644 for a 48-page standard booklet, effective today, Monday, April 1, 2024.

In the same vein, applicants opting for the 32-page expedited service will pay GHC700 and GHC800 for the 48-page expedited service.

The over 500 percent increments have since sparked public concerns, with the minority in Parliament threatening to “trigger a process to revisit the new fees” when the House resumes from recess.

Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, April 6, Prof Gyampo said “I favour some increment and I believe that the good people of Ghana will appreciate that things have gone up, so we should adjust a little. We were expecting some adjustment, but the 400 percent was too much.”