WE’LL INSTITIONALISE MOBILE PASSPORT APPLICATION CENTRE CONCEPT — ABLAKWA

He said Parliament would soon consider an appropriate fee for the initiative before its rollout. The initiative is expected to bring services closer to institutions and individual applicants who desire to have their biodata captured in the comfort of their locations. MoPAC, a temporary service, is now expected to be a permanent feature of passport application services with its own staff for special service delivery. It is a passport office on wheels which, upon request, visits localities and institutions to offer similar services offered at various PAC offices. It aims at reducing queues and serving people in regions, districts, campuses, and during special outreach programmes. The minister was speaking during his visit to the Ashanti Regional centre last Wednesday, where he met with staff to acquaint himself with the realities on the ground and gain firsthand insight into challenges confronting the centre. New centre Mr Ablakwa announced that the Ashanti Region will have a second passport application centre by the first quarter of 2027, due to the region’s population. He said work was progressing at the new centre sited at Ashanti Mampong. This is in addition to the seven centres opened last year in the Upper East Region and the six newly created regions. The minister said the centres were avenues to increase the ministry’s internally generated funds following new innovations as compared to previous years. Logistics s part of efforts to improve service delivery and enhance staff mobility for essential duties, Mr Ablakwa said his outfit had purchased 20 pick-up vehicles for all Passport Application Centres across the country. He added that they were working towards the replacement of some equipment, including computers and furniture, to enhance efficiency. Assurance The minister explained that his visit was necessary to establish facts on the ground against the backdrop of daily reports received by his office on the operations of the centre. Mr Ablakwa assured staff that their welfare would remain a priority, stressing his commitment to providing a conducive working environment that would enable them to deliver efficient services to the public. He urged the staff to ensure that passports are delivered within the stipulated 15 working days, adding that they provide good customer service to every applicant, especially the aged. Credit: graphiconline.com.gh