The Passport Office has reported a significant decline in passport applications by Ghanaians following the price increase that took effect on April 1, 2024.
Despite facing substantial opposition from passport applicants, agents, and various stakeholders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration issued a statement explaining that the price hike is in accordance with the 2023 fees regulations, L.I. 2481.
In an interview on Accra based Channel One News, the Director of the Passport Office Headquarters, Paul Cudjoe, acknowledged the decrease in applications but stated that it would not pose a major issue as long as the office continues to meet its responsibilities.
“Naturally, there will be a slowdown because for a long time, we had not increased the passport price and we needed to bridge the gap. It got to a point that if we had not increased the price, we couldn’t even print passports, that’s why the new fees were introduced,” Mr Cudjoe explained.