Ablakwa Drops Another Big Announcement For Ghanaians

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced plans to introduce a special charge for Ghana’s Mobile Passport Application Centre, with the proposed fee expected to be presented to Parliament for consideration.

The initiative allows passport officials to travel to the locations of individuals, organisations and institutions to capture applicants’ biometric information, offering an alternative to visiting conventional passport application centres.

Speaking during a working visit to the Ashanti Regional Passport Application Centre on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Ablakwa explained that the growing demand for the mobile service had created the need to expand its operations and acquire additional equipment.

He said the government intended to make the service a permanent part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ passport delivery system, enabling more applicants to access the service at their preferred locations.

According to the minister, provisions would be made in the 2027 national budget to support the acquisition of additional mobile application units and the upgrading of existing equipment used to capture applicants’ data.

Ablakwa noted that the proposed special fee would help cover the cost of providing the service while generating additional revenue to support the maintenance and improvement of passport application facilities across the country.

He explained that applicants who choose to receive passport services at their homes or other convenient locations should expect to pay a premium for the added convenience.

The minister said the ministry would engage Parliament to determine an appropriate charge for the service, emphasising that the additional revenue would contribute to its internally generated funds (IGF).

He also described the mobile application initiative as an innovative approach to improving service delivery while creating opportunities to finance infrastructure upgrades and renovations at passport centres nationwide.

Ablakwa further indicated that recent innovations had contributed to increased revenue compared with previous years, although he stressed that additional measures were necessary to improve the overall quality of passport services.

The proposed fee is expected to support the ministry’s efforts to sustain the mobile service, expand its reach and maintain the facilities required to serve passport applicants throughout Ghana.

The announcement comes as the Foreign Affairs Ministry seeks to improve accessibility and efficiency in passport processing. However, the specific amount of the proposed charge will depend on discussions with Parliament.

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