Chip-embedded passports kick in - President Mahama, Akufo-Addo take copies

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commenced the rollout of chip-embedded passports for new applicants across the country, a switch from biometric passports. 

The chip-embedded passport, launched in Accra yesterday, is in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) requirement to meet international standards.

The new passport is expected to replace the old one, which will be completely phased out by the end of 2030.

It also formed part of broader and comprehensive reforms championed by the ministry, including e-tracking service for passport, the 24-hour operation of passport service, passport delivery service, reduction of the passport application fees by 30 per cent (from GH¢500 to GH¢350), the delivery of passport in 15 days for normal application and in five days for expedited service.

Dignitaries

The event was graced by key government functionaries, including the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, who received the first official copy of the new passport; the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Xoese Dogbe; the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, and the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.

Others were the Deputy Majority Leader, George Kweku Rickett-Hagan; the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai; the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Alfred Okoh Vanderpuje; Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance, Isaac Owusu Mensah, and the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu.

Milestone, security features

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, described the new passport regime as “generational”, saying it marked a significant milestone in the country’s document security space.

He said the dynamic nature and constant evolution of crimes connected with travelling, security and identity required an even more advanced approach in the design, production and acquisition of these valuable state documents.

“As Ghana rolls out its first chip-embedded polycarbonate (PC) biographical data-page passport, equipped with the highest latent and patent security inputs, the sector players, end users and regulators within the document security management setup are assured of robust security features that are almost impossible to forge,” he said.

Mr Ablakwa emphasised that “the use of state-of-the-art multi-layer compressed polymer (polycarbonate) with a minimum lifespan covering the validity period of the passport as a base substrate for the biographical data page guarantees the integrity of the booklet against the conventional document crimes of forgeries and unauthorised falsifications of variable personal data”.

He added that the incorporation of nanotechnology into the protective overlays on the polycarbonate bio-page of the new passport added an extra layer of security, upgrading the overall security inputs in terms of features from 32 in the current passport to an astonishing more than 100 overt and covert features in the new chip-embedded passport.

The minister further emphasised that the integration of a micro radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that encoded and stored variable data of the bearer from the visual inspection, photo and machine-readable zones crowned the holistic package of an international standard travel document with first-class document security approved by ICAO.

Mr Ablakwa said the ministry had issued copies of the new passport to the President, John Dramani Mahama; former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and was in the process of issuing former President John Agyekum Kufuor a copy.

He appealed to Ghanaians to handle the document with a lot of care in order not to tamper with its integrity, which could make it difficult to read by the ICAO-readable machines.

“We have watched with concern how some people send their documents to pastors to be anointed so they can obtain favour from God to secure a visa.

“We want to appeal to them to desist from such acts in order not to destroy the features of the documents,” he said.

Innovation

The Chief of Staff urged government appointees to take the bull by the horns, be decisive and innovative as leaders in addressing the basic challenges of Ghanaians, emulating the feat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He added that the issues confronting the country required that leaders be innovative in thought and practice, as well as the application of “common sense” in their service to attend to the needs of the people who gave them the mandate.

Mr Debrah added that the passport transitioning process had taken 10 years, but by the firm leadership of the management, the current leadership of the ministry had brought to fruition the chip-embedded passport and its associated services.

This, he said, was worthy of commendation.