The Minority Caucus in Parliament has kicked against the astronomical increases in passport application fees in the country.
The increment, which took effect today April 1, 2024, will see applicants pay GH¢500 for a 32-page booklet instead of the previous fees of GH¢100 and GH¢644 for a 48-page booklet standard services from the GH¢150 previously charged.
Expedited service fees have also been increased from GH¢150 to GH¢700 for a 32-page booklet and from GH¢200 to GH¢800 for 48-page booklet.
This follows the approval of general fees and charges for the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ministry by Parliament.
Foreign Affairs minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey las year December proposed to Parliament’s Committee on Subsidiary Legislation for a review of the fees to enable the ministry curb losses usually incurred in the printing of passport booklets.
The minister had argued that it was no longer sustainable for government to continue subsidizing passport application and thus, urged the Committee to approve an upward adjustment so that applicants would pay “realistic prices for passports they acquire to travel beginning next year”.
But Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the increment is unacceptable.
While admitting that Ghana’s fees are among the lowest in the sub-region and that there had not been any adjustment for a long time, he argued that the prevailing economic situation is not right for such astronomical hikes.
He said his side led by him had raised concerns about the timing when the minister made the proposal before the committee and had recommended a gradual approach to adjusting the fees instead to minimize the impact on applicants.
He, therefore, cannot fathom why the ministry would ignore their recommendations and slapped such hefty hikes at a time citizens are still facing hardships due to the country’s economic crisis.
“We suggested that let it be graduated because if you look at other countries who left us behind, it was being done gradual. They didn’t just wake up one day after many years and then slap this hefty increment on their citizens and they didn’t even achieve that increment during periods of economic crisis,” he stated in an interview on Joy FM in Accra.
“Not when we are going through financial haircut, we are desperate for an IMF bailout and all of that. So we said it should be done in a graduated manner. So I am deeply disappointed that the ministry did not take our advice and has just done full swoop at a go. Just imposing this high increment on the suffering Ghanaians. It’s unacceptable”.
