Mampong To Get Second Passport Application Centre By 2027
The government is to establish a second Passport Application Centre (PAC) in the Ashanti Region at Mampong by the first quarter of 2027 to improve access to passport services and ease pressure on the existing centre in Kumasi.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced this during a working visit to the Kumasi Passport Application Centre to assess the impact of recent passport reforms on applicants and staff on Wednesday.
He said a facility had already been secured in Mampong, with preparations to equip the centre expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Mr Ablakwa explained that the decision was informed by the need to expand passport services in the Ashanti Region, the country’s second most populous region, noting that Greater Accra already had three Passport Application Centres.
He said the new facility would reduce the workload on staff at the Kumasi centre, improve convenience for applicants and create employment opportunities in the region.
The Minister also announced plans to provide vehicles and new equipment and refurbish existing Passport Application Centres across the country to improve service delivery.
During the visit, he interacted with passport applicants to listen to their experiences and suggestions on how the ministry could improve its services.
He commended staff of the Foreign Ministry for their professionalism, integrity and dedication to duty, saying their efforts had earned recognition from the public.
Mr Ablakwa said the government’s passport reforms included a 30 per cent reduction in application fees, the introduction of free and fast delivery services, an electronic tracking system and the establishment of Passport Application Centres in all 16 regions.
He said the reforms were intended to make passport services more accessible, convenient and efficient for Ghanaians.
The planned Mampong centre forms part of the ministry’s broader efforts to decentralise passport services and bring them closer to applicants across the country.
Margaret Adjeley Sowah, ISD
