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Claim: An X user, @thenationguy, claims passport fees have been reduced from GH¢ 500 to GH¢ 350.
Verdict: Misleading. Although the Minister of Foreign Affairs has hinted that the passport fees would be reviewed, this has yet to happen because Parliament was in recess. At the time of the post, passport fees had not been reduced to GH¢ 350.
Full Text
The Mahama-led administration’s campaign message focused on resetting Ghana from what it believed was the previous government’s abysmal performance. The cedi has seen significant growth and appreciation under Finance Minister Cassie Ato Forson.
An X user, @thenationguy, claims that passport fees have been reduced from GH¢ 500 to GH¢ 350, juxtaposing the minister of foreign affairs’ performance with that of the minister of communications, digital technology, and innovation.
“Good afternoon @samgeorgegh, I’m sure you’re aware that passport fees have been reduced from ¢500 to ¢350 because of this man. Why are we still paying ¢350 for a 92GB data bundle,” he quoted a picture of Sam Okudzeto Ablakwah. Find the post here.
DUBAWA acknowledges the potential of this claim being misleading. Therefore, it decided to probe it.
Verification
DUBAWA recognises the effective communication of the project and the initiative launch by this administration. This has been observed in the launch of several initiatives. Find media publications on policy and initiative launches here, here, and here. Several publications by various media outlets were released when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration recently launched chip-embedded passports. A reduction in passport fees will have gained traction. However, no publication by any media outlet on the decrease in passport fees exists as of the time of publication.
Additionally, DUBAWA’s check revealed that Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in an X-post on April 29, 2025, stated that the proposed fee reduction has yet to be approved by Parliament, according to the Fees and Charges Act.
“Reduced Application Fees as approved by Cabinet (from GHS500 to GHS350) — will take effect when Parliament returns from recess and amends the Fees and Charges Act,” he stated in the seven-pointer post.
The Parliament of Ghana has been in recess since March 28, 2025, after it concluded its first meeting of the first session in the ninth parliament of the fourth republic. The house is set to resume sitting on May 27, 2025, where members will continue in-depth deliberations on pressing national issues, legislative proposals, and various reports from various parliamentary committees.
Conclusion
The claim that passport fees have been reduced from GH¢ 500 to GH¢ 350 is misleading. However, the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister has hinted at this, according to the Charges Act, yet to be approved by parliament.
