Foreign Affairs Minister Commissions Dambai Passport Office

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has commissioned the new Passport Application Centre in Dambai, bringing passport services closer to residents of the Oti Region.

Speaking at the ceremony on Monday in Oti, he stated that the opening fulfils a government pledge to establish a passport office in every regional capital by the end of the year.

He said Oti has been the first of Ghana’s newer regions to receive this service, since people living there had to travel long distances to submit their applications.

The Minister detailed several reforms to passport services, adding that the application fee will be GH₵350, couriers will deliver passports at no additional cost, a new online system will help people track their application, and for urgent needs, passports can be processed in a day.

He said other changes involve opening offices in every regional capital, using mobile biometric units, strengthening background checks, and expanding digital services to make the process faster and more secure.

“We are committed to safeguarding the integrity of the Ghanaian passport,” he stated.

Mr Ablakwa warned that non-Ghanaians who attempt to acquire passports unlawfully will be apprehended and urged applicants to follow official procedures and avoid using intermediaries.

He stated that a new business centre has already started, with ten applicants from the region submitting documentation, and that regular applications will be processed and delivered within 15 days.

The Oti Regional Minister, Mr John Kwadwo Gyapong, said the centre portrayed the government’s focus on bringing services closer to people.

He commended local stakeholders for their collaboration and asked staff to maintain high standards.

Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD