Passport fee increment: ‘Reconsider this inimical action immediately’ — Ablakwa to Foreign Affairs Ministry

North Tongu MP, Okudzeto Ablakwa[left] and Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately reconsider its decision to significantly increase passport application fees.

In a post on social media on Monday, April 1, Ablakwa expressed his "terrible disappointment" in the ministry's move, describing the fee hikes as "astronomical" and "draconian."

He noted that the current economic crisis and high cost of living in Ghana make the fee increments "untenable" for citizens.

Ablakwa, who is the ranking member of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said he and his NDC colleagues had advised the ministry to adopt a "graduated approach" to any fee adjustments, waiting until economic conditions improve.

"We insisted at Committee that the worst case scenario could be a graduated approach when economic conditions improve but alas they ignored our advice and have gone ahead to impose these insensitive rates in one fell swoop," Ablakwa stated.

He warned that the matter will be revisited when Parliament resumes from recess, urging the ministry to "reconsider this inimical action immediately."

The fee hikes, which see the cost of a standard passport application rise to GH¢500 and an expedited application to GH¢800, have been decried by the MP as disproportionately burdening Ghanaians amid hardship.