Though Ghana has been described as the gateway to Africa, the country still lacks certain policy directions in relation to visa application refund policy.
Currently, Ghana doesn’t have any universal policy or guideline for it citizens to demand refund from embassies when their visa application forms are refused.
This development has empowered some embassies in the country to act evasive towards citizens by refusing them visas without any reasonable ground.
Based on this, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marrer Ghana Limited and Susatgad Boat Industries, Novihoho Afaglo, is appealing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Interior through the Ghana Immigration Service to immediately adopt a visa refund policy.
Mr Afaglo said the policy will help citizens demand for visa refund when the embassies deny their visa applications wrongly or intentionally.
Speaking to the Republic Press, he said it is high time the Ghana government adopts policies to check activities of these embassies and how they are treating Ghanaian citizens.
“It is sometimes strange and unexplainable how these embassies deny visa application forms to Ghanaians whose documents and paper works are genuine,” he stated.
Mr Afaglo mentioned Nigeria as one of the countries in Africa that has taken a step further in the visa refund policy.
The policy in Nigeria states that a refund will be issued, upon request, and with supporting proof and/or evidence from the customer, for acceptable reasons for a refund to be made.
“Notwithstanding the above, Nigeria Immigration Service reserves the right to grant or deny refunds to anyone for any reason,” he added.
He, therefore, called on the Government of Ghana to initiate programmes for the immediate adoption and implementation of visa refund policy to reduce the pressure on citizens whose applications are denied without refund.