Residents of Mampong and surrounding communities in the Ashanti Region are expected to have easier access to passport services by the first quarter of 2027, following plans by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish a second Passport Application Centre in the region.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the proposed facility would help address the growing demand for passport services in the Ashanti Region, where the existing centre is under pressure from the volume of applicants.
The new centre, expected to be located in Mampong, is intended to reduce congestion at the existing facility and spare applicants from distant communities the burden of travelling long distances for biometric registration and other passport application procedures.
Mr Ablakwa announced the plan during a working visit to the existing Passport Application Centre, where he acknowledged the strain on staff and equipment caused by the high demand for services.
He said the decision to establish an additional centre followed concerns about the adequacy of passport application facilities in the region, given its population and the number of people requiring the service.
“The Ashanti Region should not have only one passport application centre. So we have decided, and I have instructed that we should initiate steps towards opening a second passport application centre in the Ashanti Region so that we can reduce the pressure and burden here. And we are considering Mampong,” he said.
The minister disclosed that preparations for the project had progressed, with an existing building identified and inspected for use as the new facility.
He said the remaining major step was to procure the necessary equipment, expressing confidence that the centre could be operational within the first quarter of 2027.
“I am targeting the first quarter of next year. We already have the building and we’ve done the inspection. It’s very good. We just have to procure equipment. So we are almost there,” he added.
Beyond easing congestion, the proposed centre is expected to improve access to passport services for residents of Mampong and nearby communities, while allowing the existing facility to serve applicants more efficiently.
Mr Ablakwa also questioned the disparity in the distribution of passport application centres between the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions.
He noted that Greater Accra, despite having a population only slightly larger than that of Ashanti, has three passport application centres, compared with the single facility serving the Ashanti Region.
“Greater Accra Region is just slightly more populated than the Ashanti Region. And Greater Accra Region has three passport application centres. So why should Ashanti Region have one? The Ashanti Region should have an additional one,” he said.
The proposed facility forms part of efforts to improve the accessibility and delivery of passport services, particularly in regions where demand places significant pressure on existing infrastructure.
Its establishment will depend on the completion of the necessary preparations, including the procurement and installation of equipment ahead of the targeted opening in early 2027.
