Ablakwa: Passport fee hike due to lack of procurement competition

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has linked the recent escalation in passport fees to non-competitive procurement practices within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He raised concerns over the exclusive rights granted to a single entity for passport printing, asserting that such a monopoly is detrimental to public interests.

Ablakwa emphasized that opening up the procurement process to competition would lead to price reductions for passport applications, benefiting the public.

The remarks come amidst a notable increase in passport fees by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Presently, a 48-page booklet costs GH¢800, with expedited 32-page applications at GH¢700. Standard 32-page booklets are priced at GH¢500, while the 48-page variant stands at GH¢644.

During an interview on Metro TV, Ablakwa criticized the lack of competition in passport printing, highlighting its role in driving up costs for Ghanaian citizens unnecessarily.

“The elephant in the room is also procurement. Do you know that in this whole passport printing business, we don’t really open it up to make it competitive, and that is the basis of a lot of the cost of the things we have to pay more for? We could be paying less if we allow for competitive tendering. If we allow the procurement to be competitive. We want to talk about these things.

“Why should it be that just one entity, is reserved for them, it is their gig. We are carving out this country for a certain business, why? And then it is the ordinary Ghanaian who suffers. Why can’t we open up the process for competitiveness?,” he said.

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