Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), Minister of Foreign Affairs, toured the Accra Regional Passport Application Center (Accra PAC) and the Passport Office Headquarters in Ridge.
The Minister received a comprehensive tour of the facilities at both offices, where he learned about the newest developments in chip-embedded passport technology as well as the many phases of the passport processing system.
The Minister used the occasion to speak with the employees. He conveyed gratitude for their commitment and service on behalf of His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama.
The Minister described intentions to implement a three-schedule shift structure in order to address the current backlog of passport applications as part of his commitment to enhancing service performance.
He also alluded to upgrading and better equipping the passport offices to accommodate the increasing demand, as well as increasing the number of employees working there.
In order to guarantee employee productivity and efficiency, Hon. Ablakwa also detailed plans to expand office space, increase security, and expand transportation alternatives.
According to Hon. Ablakwa, the government is looking into ways to lower the price of acquiring a typical 32-page passport in an effort to make passport services more affordable.
He also disclosed plans to launch premium passport services, which would be more expensive but would provide quicker processing times for people with pressing travel requirements.
In response to questions about the passport processing timeframe, the Minister said that although it has already been shortened to four weeks, there will be more efforts to cut it, with a one-week turnaround in the near future.
Source: newsthemegh.com