Passport fee hike sparks outcry among applicants
Passport applicants in Accra are expressing frustration and concern over a sudden and significant increase in passport application fees.
Effective April 1, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a hike from GH₵100 to GH₵500, citing alignment with the 2023 fees and charges regulations, Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2481.
This decision marks a substantial increase from previous fees, where Ghanaians paid GH₵50 for regular and GH₵100 for express services until 2019.
The current fee structure also reveals that while applicants pay approximately GH₵100 for a passport booklet, it costs the government GH₵400 to produce one, necessitating a GH₵300 subsidy per passport.
The revised processing fees now stand at GH₵800 for an Expedited Application for 48 pages, GH₵700 for an Expedited Application for 32 pages, GH₵500 for a Standard Application for 32 pages, and GH₵644 for a Standard Application for 48 pages.
Applicants have voiced their dismay at the considerable increase, highlighting the harsh economic realities facing the nation, which make the four-hundred-percent hike particularly burdensome. Additionally, concerns persist regarding the longstanding challenges affecting efficient service delivery at the passport office, as well as the presence of what some describe as an intimidating number of military police personnel at the office premises.
However, the Africa Tourism Research Network (ATRN) appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to reconsider the “inimical action” of such a significant fee increment, calling it unsustainable for ordinary citizens.
Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, expressed disappointment, stating that a graduated approach to fee adjustments had been suggested by himself and his colleagues on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
He urged the Ministry to reconsider its decision, given the current economic crisis and high cost of living.
In response, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the sector Minister, acknowledged the deficit in the printing of passport booklets, stating that it hindered necessary investments in the Passport Office.
She emphasized the need for passports as travel documents, rather than identification cards, and noted that a proposal for budget estimates was being considered by the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation.
A comparison of passport fees with other West African countries revealed Ghana’s rate to be the lowest at $7.7, with Cameroon charging $180, Guinea $57, Guinea-Bissau $65, Burkina Faso $80, and Nigeria $54.29.
