Foreign Minister commissions two passport offices at Koforidua and Tema

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration on Wednesday commissioned two new Biometric Passport Application Centres (PACs) in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital and Tema in the Greater Accra Region.

The commissioning of these two facilities brings the total number of PACs across the country to nine.

This is to decentralise passport applications in the country to ensure more efficient service.

The Tema and Koforidua PACs are for online passport application services.

The already existing seven PACs in the country include Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, Ho, Sunyani and the Premium PAC.

Madam Botchway said the opening of new PACs was in fulfillment of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s promise to extend passport services to the doorstep of Ghanaians in all parts of the country.

She said the Ministry was also taking steps to secure office spaces from the Regional Coordinating Councils in the Upper East, Upper West and Central Regions as well as the newly created Regions for the establishment of PACs in their respective capitals.

"With this commissioning, residents in the Eastern Region will be spared the inconvenience of travelling to the Greater Accra or Volta Regions to obtain passports," she said.

"I have confidence in the officers stationed in this PAC to deliver quality services to the public," she said.

She cautioned the public to desist from engaging in fraudulent activities which undermine the integrity of the Ghanaian passport such as the use of forged documents in their applications.

"These are punishable by law and persons found engaging in such activities will be dealt with in accordance with the law."

Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, the Eastern Regional Minister, said the opening of the Koforidua PAC would save the people of the Region from the trouble of having to travel Accra to apply for passports.

In attendance at both events was Mr Mohammed Habib Tijani, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.