The Majority in Parliament has supported the government’s move to raise the cost of applying for a passport.
The adjustment in passport application fee was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration on April 1, 2024.
The decision was met with considerable disapproval from the general public after it was announced.
However, the majority in parliament has said that the subsidy on the application fee is only beneficial to a few people in the country.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah Kubi, noted that reviewing the fee is the right move.
“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,” he said.
“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”.
