The Minority Caucus in Parliament has served notice of summoning the minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to appear before the House over the astronomical hikes in passport application fees.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM in Accra, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa described the increment as unacceptable, indicating that his side will push for the minister to be summoned before Parliament on the matter when the House resumes.
“It’s unacceptable. When the house resume, we intend to raise this matter because my recommendation I believe that is sound. Our committee was clear that this should not be done in one single swoop and that it should be a graduated approach so it is a matter we will revisit,” he stated.
“We will summon the Minister and officials of the ministry and see what can be done. Because this is really really terrible. It’s going to add on to the already excruciating hardship. And anguish that Ghanaians are going through”.
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.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey last 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 Ablakwa expressed disappointment in the decision to adjust the fees at this time and at such rates.
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.
