Minority slams gov’t over $1.2M biometric passport relaunch
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of causing financial loss to the state by spending $1.2 million on what they described as an unnecessary relaunch of Ghana’s chip-embedded biometric passport.
According to the Minority, the project had already been fully secured and launched by the previous Akufo-Addo administration in December 2024, making the current government’s expenditure wasteful and unjustifiable.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, July 9, Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, stated, “The outgoing government secured supply credit, completed all testing, and formally launched the chip-embedded passport on December 2, 2024. They secured 50,000 booklets and a standing order of 200,000. This is all on record at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
He argued that the $1.2 million spent on the relaunch could have been channelled into improving service delivery and addressing logistical challenges at passport offices across the country.
The caucus also revisited the issue of the sudden three-day closure of Ghana’s embassy in Washington, DC, in May 2025, which they say resulted in a loss of over $38,000 in expedited service fees. The closure led to the cancellation of 437 appointments and caused at least 112 travellers to miss their connecting flights.
“By dawn, May 26th, 2025, the embassy doors were closed, and 437 confirmed applicants for the week had been cancelled. In three days, the Minister’s decision cost Ghana over $38,200 in expedited service fees and forced at least 112 travellers to miss their connecting flights,” he said.
They have demanded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs present a full audit report to Parliament on both incidents and compensate those affected by the embassy shutdown.
