Montreal event was meant for easy transition into e-passport – Government
Ghana Card as e-passport may create chaos – Aviation expert
Aviation expert, Micheal Yao Foli, has opined that Ghana’s national identification card also known as the 'Ghana Card' may not be accepted globally as an e-passport for travel.
According to him, the use of the card as an e-passport may create chaos as there may not be the existing infrastructure in place at Ghana’s main airports that will verify the card.
Speaking to Asaase News, Micheal Foli who is also a retired pilot said, “E-passport came about because of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) attempt to prevent fraud, terrorism and drug trafficking. That is why we have e-passport now, so the e-passport must be used to confirm that you are the actual person,”
“So, airlines may not accept Ghana Card, immigration officials at the point of departure will not accept Ghana Card, so how can Ghana Card be used for Ghanaians to travel and what is the advantage anyway? When we arrive at Kotoka and you have a Ghana Card, do we have machines that can read your Ghana Card and then allow you to enter without the hustle of going through immigration?” he is quoted by Asaaseradio.com
He continued, “So even domestically, I don’t know if we are prepared to accept Ghanaians arriving with Ghana Card and how can we impose this on airlines. So, you see, the information being given out is not clear and from 1 March there will be confusion, Ghanaians are going to show up trying to board flights arguing that I am allowed to use Ghana Card.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana Airports Company Limited has written to airlines informing them that the Ghana Card will from March 1 2022, be recognised as a travel identity document for Ghanaian holders.
File photo: Ghana Card