The Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has pledged to leverage technology to streamline Ghana’s passport acquisition process, addressing long-standing challenges faced by applicants.
Speaking during his vetting before the Appointments Committee, Ablakwa acknowledged widespread concerns about delays in obtaining passports and the influence of unauthorized middlemen, commonly known as “goro boys.”
Ablakwa assured the committee that under his leadership, digital solutions would be introduced to enhance the passport application process and eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.
“There are too many complaints about how difficult it is to get passports and to get them in good time. I have been going through some briefs, and I noticed that we have a backlog of over 70,000 passports that have not been collected. Then also the issues with the middlemen often referred to as ‘goro boys.’”
He referenced a previous instance where a former foreign minister stormed the passport office in frustration to demand an end to the long processing delays.
“I would like to use technology to reform our passport regime. I don’t think that we should still be requiring Ghanaians with Ghana Card to provide another biometric,” he stated.