Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced plans to restructure Ghana’s passport fee system. The goal is to provide relief to students and vulnerable citizens who struggle to afford the current fees.
Speaking on The KeyPoints on tv3, Ablakwa emphasized that the current passport fees are too high. He specifically mentioned students on government scholarships, saying, “We need to overhaul the fee structure. Students on scholarships should not have to pay for passports. It should be worked into the scholarship package.”
Ablakwa proposed a tiered system where frequent travelers and businesspeople would pay higher fees for expedited services and larger booklets.
This would subsidize costs for low-income applicants, ensuring the passport office doesn’t incur losses.
As Ablakwa explained, “We don’t want the passport office to make losses, but we can structure it so that the wealthy pay more for enhanced services, while students and vulnerable people benefit from reduced fees.”
This new system aims to make passports more accessible to those who need them most.