Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed skepticism about the government’s claims regarding the introduction of chip-embedded passports.
According to him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey admitted during a committee session that the government was not yet ready to implement chip-embedded passports due to unresolved contractual issues.
“The Minister told us at committee that they are not ready for the chip-embedded passport. So, everybody who is going to pay this new fee, you are going to get the same old biometric passports which many countries left behind about 10 years ago,” he stated in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show on April 3.
Speaking to the matter of the passport fee increase, Ablakwa highlighted the manner in which the fee increase was handled, citing a lack of transparency and consultation with the parliamentary committee responsible for foreign affairs.
“The level of contempt the Minister for Foreign Affairs has exhibited in this matter and how she has treated our committee is utterly shocking, especially to those of us on the committee,” he said.
‘If you cannot afford a passport, I’m humbly asking you not to go for it – Ayorkor Botchwey
The South Tongu MP revealed that during a budget approval session on December 12, 2023, the Minister hinted at her intention to hike passport application fees without providing adequate justification.
However, when the matter failed to earn bipartisan support within the foreign affairs committee, the Minister allegedly sidestepped further consultation with the committee, pushing the proposal through without proper scrutiny.
“I’m saying this on authority. They exploited a loophole in the system. When they saw that this will not receive bipartisan support at foreign affairs committee they didn’t return to us. So that is why I have said in my statement that look, we will not accept this betrayal this undermining of our committee. We want the foreign minister, and I heard her in the clip you just played that Parliament has asked us to do this. How did Parliament ask you to do this? You brought this to Parliament, smuggled it in the fees and charges and you had your 21 days. Don’t shift this to Parliament” he asserted.
Ablakwa also criticized the Minister’s justification for the fee increase, arguing that passport services should normally be accessible to all citizens, regardless of their financial status. He highlighted existing fee structures which, he claimed, inherently provided subsidies for those in need.
“The rich already subsidize the poor through premium service fees,” Ablakwa pointed out. “There are categories in other countries where citizens receive passports for free, such as those serving in the army or belonging to vulnerable groups. These are services that we should render,” he suggested.
Furthermore, Ablakwa urged the government to focus on addressing pressing issues such as economic challenges, unemployment, and poverty, rather than imposing burdensome fees on citizens.
“If the conspiracy theories are true, then this totally missed the mark because it will not work,” Ablakwa warned, urging the government to reconsider its approach. t
By Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi
The post Claim of chip-embedded passport for new fees is false – Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa responds to Ayorkor Botchwey first appeared on 3News.
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