Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has requested Parliament’s approval for an increase in passport application fees to GH₵644.

She argued that the current fee of GH₵100 charged to Ghanaians is inadequate, considering the actual cost of producing the document.

Addressing the budget estimates for her Ministry, Minister Botchwey emphasized the impracticality of sustaining the current passport application fee, stating that it falls short of covering the production expenses.

She urged the Parliament to reconsider and approve the proposed fee adjustment.

Minister Botchwey clarified that the initial subsidy on passport costs was implemented when the document served as a national identification tool.

However, since the primary purpose of the passport is now travel-related, she advocated for citizens to bear the full cost of printing.