The government has once again assured that the transitions to chip-embedded passports is in the offing.
Speaking at a media briefing on passport acquisition process, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Tijani said the introduction will be in fulfillment of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations.
[contextly_sidebar id=”vOkAKVWPFkLDZ9Z2TR3pyL2xI35f8rWA”]This move would enable the nation meet minimum international in passport acquisition and usage.Mr. Tijani
Mr. Tijani said, “Ghana will soon join the comity of nations issuing chip-embedded passports in fulfillment of international civil aviation organizations regulations.”
“In the aftermath of 9/11, there was an urgent need to overhaul and modernize the national passport and its issuing system to meet minimum international security standards set out by the international civil aviation.”
The International Civil Aviation Organization Regulations require member countries to migrate to a chip embedded passport from October 2016.
The objectives of the biometric passport system are to improve the physical security of Ghana’s passports, increase efficiency, reduce application waiting periods, provide greater levels of verifications along others.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration expects the initiative to help reduce the possibility of identity thefts and resultant misrepresentations.
Ghanaians with the current biometric passport will be required to upgrade to the chip-embedded ones which can be acquired locally from all the 10 regional passport application centres.
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By: Naa Kwarmah Siaw Marfo/citifmonline.com/Ghana