Businessman and politician John Dumelo has expressed his frustration with the practise of extorting money from applicants who seek to obtain a passport.

He suggested that, in order to transform this situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration should distribute the application and acquisition procedures across various regions.

During an appearance on TV3's Ghana Tonight Show, John Dumelo explained that by printing passports in all the regional capitals, the need for intermediaries, commonly referred to as "goro boys," could be eliminated.

John Dumelo said, “It is quite frustrating, sometimes you have to pay; you have to make a call before you acquire a passport. I feel it should not be like that…"

"Why not decentralise the application and acquisition process?…Why don’t you print in Cape Coast, Kumasi, and the North so that you don’t have to go through these processes?” he stated.

Dumelo's comment comes after the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, sacked some officers at the passport office for working with goro boys.

These people charge between GH2,000 and GH3,000 for a passport, though the initial amount for standard and expedited services is GH100 and GH150, respectively.

The minister stated that the unannounced visit to the passport was necessary because of reports that some officers were involved in illegal activities.

She said their actions have tarnished the reputation of the passport issuance system.