The Minority in Parliament has clarified that the erstwhile Akufo-Addo New Patriotic Party (NPP) government rolled out the mass chip-embedded passport and the purported re-launch of the Project by the Mahama administration only constitute an unnecessary burden on the public purse.
The Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Samuel A. Jinapor, in a statement explained that upon assuming office in 2017, the Akufo-Addo Government, as part of its digitalisation agenda, took a bold decision to transform the country’s biometric passport system by upgrading the biometric passports to chip-embedded electronic passports as well as provide an integrated online passport application and delivery system.
“The record shows that this innovative Project, which has been appropriately described as ushering in “a new era of modernisation, convenience, and deep respect for Ghanaian citizens,” is the result of years of determined leadership, strategic planning, execution and sustained institutional effort by the Akufo-Addo Government” he said.
The Damongo legislator has however observed that the event and the commentary that followed the purported re-launch by the National Democratic Congress led administration have erroneously created the impression that the chip-embedded passport programme was developed and implemented by the current Government.
He noted that at its thirty-eighth (38th) Session held from 24th September to 4th October, 2013, the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) adopted the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP) Strategy to, among others, provide a holistic, coherent and coordinated travel identification system, including the design and manufacture of Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs) and electronic MRTDs (eMRTDs), which is a chip-embedded travel document.
“Following the adoption of this Strategy, discussions about issuing chip embedded passports began in Ghana, but did not yield many results.”
“After receiving and reviewing several proposals, the Central Tender Committee, by a letter dated 21st February, 2018, granted approval for Government to engage 25th Century Technology Limited to implement the Project under a Design, Build, Finance, Manage, Maintain and Transfer (DBFMMT) Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. This model put the financing obligations on the Developer so as not to overburden the public purse” Mr. Jinapor disclosed.
He maintained that, to execute the Project, 25th Century Technology Limited and Buck Press Limited, a printing outlet with expertise in passport printing, established a special purpose vehicle known as Biometric Travel Solutions Limited.
“After extensive engagement with relevant stakeholders, including the National Security, the Ghana Immigration Service and other international partners, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, under the leadership of Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, on behalf of Government, signed a Public Private Partnership Agreement with Biometric Travel Solutions Limited to execute the Project.
“Biometric Travel Solutions Limited duly executed the Project, and on Monday, 2nd December, 2024, then President Akufo-Addo, officially launched the biometric chip-embedded passport in Accra, where biometric chip-embedded passports were issued to the President, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, Ministers of State and other dignitaries” he added.
According to Samuel Abu Jinapor, at the time of launching this innovative programme on 2nd December, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had in stock an initial batch of fifty thousand (50,000) chip-embedded passport booklets, and an additional two hundred thousand (200,000) booklets had been ordered, with delivery scheduled within six months.
