Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced a special bonus for staff of the Passport Administration.

The announcement follows the institution’s recognition as the least corrupt and most transformed public institution in a recent Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) report.

Ablakwa announced the bonus when he visited the Passport Head Office on Saturday August 15, 2026, he praised the management and staff for their work and the improvements recorded at the institution.

“All Passport Administration staff will receive a special bonus next week in recognition of their hard work and the results they have achieved,” he said.

The minister said the government would continue to introduce what he described as “radical reforms” in passport administration.

He said the reforms would focus on integrity, professionalism, innovation and better service to the public.

“We will continue with radical reforms to make passport administration more efficient, professional and responsive to the needs of Ghanaians,” he stated.

Ablakwa also spoke about the changes introduced under the government’s “Passport Reset” initiative.

He said Ghana now issues chip-embedded passports with improved security features.

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He added that the backlog of passport applications had been cleared after the introduction of 24-hour operations.

“We now have a chip-embedded passport with enhanced security features, and the backlog has been cleared through 24-hour operations,” he said.

According to the Minister, most passports are now processed within a few working days and generally within 15 days. He said applicants no longer need to rely on middlemen, popularly known as “goro boys”, to obtain their passports.

“Passports are now processed within a few working days, generally under 15 days, without the need for middlemen or goro boys,” he added.

Ablakwa further said passport processing fees had been reduced by 30 per cent. He said the ministry had also introduced courier services to make passport delivery faster, at no extra cost to applicants.

“We have reduced passport processing fees by 30 per cent and introduced courier services to make delivery faster at no additional cost,” he noted.

The minister said other reforms included same-day passport processing and digital application tracking. He added that stronger security measures had also been introduced to prevent foreigners from illegally obtaining Ghanaian passports.

“We have introduced same-day processing and digital tracking, while strengthening security to protect the integrity of the Ghanaian passport,” he said.

Passport centres in all 16 regions

Ablakwa said Passport Application Centres had now been established in all 16 regions of Ghana.

He described the development as a major milestone in the country’s passport administration.

“For the first time in Ghana’s history, Passport Application Centres have been established in all 16 regions,” he revealed.

He said the reforms were aimed at making passport services faster, easier to access and more secure.

“Our goal is to provide Ghanaians with passport services that are efficient, accessible, secure and worthy of the Ghanaian citizen,” he noted.

ANAS/VPO

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