Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced a special bonus for staff of the Passport Administration following the institution’s recognition as the least corrupt and most transformed public institution in a recent Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) report.
Mr Ablakwa made the announcement during a working visit to the Passport Head Office, where he commended management and staff for their performance and the progress made under the government’s ongoing reforms.
He said all staff of the Passport Administration would receive the special bonus next week as recognition for their contribution to improving passport services and implementing reforms at the institution.
The Minister said the government would continue to pursue what he described as “radical reforms” in passport administration, with emphasis on integrity, professionalism, innovation, client satisfaction and excellence.
He outlined several initiatives introduced under the government’s “Passport Reset”, including the rollout of chip-embedded passports with enhanced security features.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the introduction of 24-hour operations has also helped clear passport application backlogs, while applications are now generally processed within a few working days and under 15 days.
He said the reforms had also eliminated the need for middlemen, commonly referred to as “goro boys”, in the passport application process.
The Minister further disclosed that passport processing fees had been reduced by 30%, while courier services had been introduced to support faster delivery at no additional cost to applicants.
Other measures, he said, include same-day passport processing, digital application tracking and stronger security systems aimed at preventing foreigners from unlawfully obtaining Ghanaian passports.
Mr Ablakwa also pointed to the establishment of Passport Application Centres in all 16 regions, describing the nationwide coverage as a historic development in Ghana’s passport administration.
He said the reforms were intended to make passport acquisition more efficient, accessible, transparent and secure while improving the overall experience for Ghanaian applicants.
