Ablakwa vows to revolutionize passport regime with digital solutions

Accra, Ghana - 01 Feb, 2025 - Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced plans to overhaul the country's passport acquisition process, leveraging technology to reduce delays and corruption.

Speaking during his vetting before the Appointments Committee, Ablakwa acknowledged the frustration among Ghanaians seeking passports, citing a significant backlog of uncollected passports.

To address these challenges, Ablakwa proposed introducing digital solutions to simplify the passport application process, eliminating the need for unnecessary paperwork and reducing the influence of unauthorized middlemen.

“There are too many complaints about how difficult it is to get passports and to get them in good time. I have been going through some briefs, and I noticed that we have a backlog of over 70,000 passports that have not been collected. Then also the issues with the middlemen often referred to as ‘goro boys,'' he stated.

“I would like to use technology to reform our passport regime. I don’t think that we should still be requiring Ghanaians with Ghana Card to provide another biometric,” he added.

Source: Lead News Online