The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed plans to establish passport application centers in all 16 regions of Ghana.

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The initiative is aimed at easing the pressure on the Accra-based passport center, which has been overwhelmed by high demand and long processing times.

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Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, March 12, Ablakwa stressed the importance of decentralizing passport services to ensure citizens across the country can apply for passports without needing to travel to the capital.

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He clarified that while district-level passport offices are not currently in the plans, the government believes that regional centers, coupled with reforms such as 24-hour operations and faster processing times, will significantly improve efficiency.

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“Our plan now is to regionalise and make sure we have passport application centers in all the 16 regions of Ghana. We do not currently have plans to have district offices.

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“We take the view that the reforms we are carrying out, the delivery, the 24-hour operations, reducing the waiting period and all of that, should suffice once you have regional offices and the courier service will make sure that your passport is delivered to you wherever you are in the region.”

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Currently, applicants from various regions must travel long distances to Accra, leading to congestion, additional costs, and delays in processing.

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By setting up regional passport centers, the government aims to address these challenges, making the passport application process more convenient and efficient for all Ghanaians.

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