Parliament Approved Fees & Charges For Increase In Passport Application Fees- Majority

The Majority group in Ghana’s parliament has stated that, the House unananimously approved a recommendation by the Subsidiary Legislation committee for the imposition of fees and charges by the foreign affairs ministry for the acquisition of passports.

The approval allows the removal of subsidies on passport application feess and allows the charging of realistic fees by the mininstry.

Government has over the years hugely subsidisded paspport acquisition fees with budgetary allocations to the foreign affairs ministry.

The ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration recently announced increases in passport application fees from in accordiance with the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2023 (L.I.2481) effective April 1, 2024.

This has resulted in a leap jump in the application fees for the acquisition of regular passport from Ghc 100 to Ghc 500 with its attendant public outrage.

According to the majority group, only 20% of Ghanaian citizens apply for passports for their personal travelling purposes but attracts huge subsidy of some Ghc 400 and stated that it is not fair for 20% of the population to be surcharging 80% of the majority tax paying public.

Addressing members of the parliamentary press corps on Wednesday, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, Lawyer Andy Appiah Kubi stated that the government’s move was justified.

“We agree that it is only about 20% of Ghanaians that need passports to travel out of the country. And therefore, looking at it from that context, the passports then become a privilege, not a right or need. So, if it is a privilege, who should bear the cost of passports? To be honest with you, within the subregion, passports in Ghana are the cheapest and indeed it is incomparable with anywhere else.”

“The most immediate cost element is from Liberia, and they are charging GH499.50, which is the equivalent of $50 for passports that span for five years…Indeed how fair will it be for only 20% of us to surcharge all of us, the 80% for what they want for their purpose of travelling? It is not fair,” he stated.

Lawyer Anyimadu who is a member of the Subsidiary Legislation committee said even though he agreed for the increament in the application fees to be staggered, the country has lost so much hence the need for a one-off increase to cut further losses.

The cost of one passport booklet alone is estimated at Ghc 300 in addition to other administrative charges.
He assured the public of the readiness of the Foreign Affairs committee which has parliamentary oversight responsibility over the ministry to ensure that the public derives maxumum satisfaction from the services of the passport office the wake of price hikes.

By: Christian Kpesese