It is quite frustrating - Dumelo on payment of huge sums of money for passport

Entrepreneur, John Dumelo, has said it is quite frustrating that sometimes monies are 'extorted' from applicants in a bid to acquire a passport.

According to him, for the narrative to change, it is prudent that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration decentralizes the application and acquisition processes.

Speaking on TV3's Ghana Tonight Show, John Dumelo elucidated that when passports are printed from all the regional capitals, the issue of middlemen, popularly known as goro boys would be phased out.

John Dumelo said, “It is quite frustrating, sometimes you have to pay, you have to make a call that before you acquire a passport. I feel it should not be like that..."

"Why not decentralised the application and acquisition process?...Why don’t you print in Cape Coast, Kumasi, and North so that you don’t have to go through these processes,” he stated.

Dumelo's comment comes after the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, sacked some officers at the passport office for working with goro boys.

These people charge between GH¢2,000 and GH¢3,000 for a passport though the initial amount for standard and expedited services cost GH¢100, and GH¢150 respectively.

The minister stated that the unannounced visit to the passport was necessary because of the reports that some officers were involved in illegal activities.

She said their actions have tarnished the reputation of the passport issuance system.

SA/NOQ

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