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 a mere relaunch of the chip-embedded passport initiative.
According to the Minority Caucus, the project had already been conceived, contracted, and financed under the previous Akufo-Addo administration, making the recent launch unnecessary.
At a press conference in Accra, they claimed the former government secured a supplier credit, completed all necessary testing, and formally launched the initiative on December 2, 2024. This included the procurement of 50,000 passport booklets and a standing order for an additional 200,000.
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Speaking to the media on Wednesday, July 9, at Parliament House in Accra, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, criticized the move to relaunch the chip embedded passport and said it was “wasteful”.
“The chip-embedded passport programme was fully developed and funded under the previous Akufo-Addo-led administration, following Cabinet approval in August 2024,” he said.
“When the new minister staged a costly relaunch on April 28, 2025—an event that alone cost the taxpayer $1.2 million—there was no corresponding increase in printing capacity or paper supply. Within just eight weeks, the Passport Office had a backlog of 32,467 unprinted applications. Sixty-eight percent of applicants had waited over eight weeks, despite paying for a 15-day express service.”
He added, “The relaunch solved nothing. It was merely a rebranded version of work already completed and diverted scarce resources away from much-needed service delivery.”
Background
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa launched the chip-embedded passport programme on Monday, April 28, 2025, citing it as a major step toward modernizing passport acquisition and improving national security.
The new passports feature a chip containing the holder’s biometric data and boast 175 security features, a significant upgrade from the previous version’s 32.
The launch also introduced 24-hour passport office operations and a new partnership with Ghana Post for nationwide passport delivery.
