According to the Director of Passports, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Idris, the country will switch to chip-embedded passports (e-passports) this year in accordance with best practices.
After a successful migration, the country would join the approximately 150 nations that presently use e-passports.
Ambassador-designate of Ghana to the State of Kuwait, Alhaji Idris, stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that the introduction of the new passport is anticipated for the fourth quarter of this year.
However, the project's director stated that work on the new system would begin before he assumed his new position.
Alhaji Idris explained further that "the nation's decision to switch from the current biometric system to the chip-embedded passport is also to comply with ICAO standards"
"It is also to enhance the security and integrity of the nation's passport," he added.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the e-passport initiative is being implemented via a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Regarding the timely issuance of passports, the Director stated that there had been some development over the years; consequently, people no longer flocked to Accra to obtain their passports, as a result of the establishment of centers throughout the country.
The centers were established upon the current administration's 2017 inauguration, and there are currently 13 passport centers in the country where applicants can obtain their passports.
"All you need to do is submit an application through the online portal we've created to facilitate the process of obtaining your passport.
"The processing and delivery of passports have come a long way; from the issuance of high-return passports to machine-readable passports to biometric passports.
Alhaji Idris added that all of these measures are intended to enhance the integrity and security of our passports.
He continued by explaining that the online application portal was created to address system delays.
Despite this, he acknowledged that his organization still faced challenges on occasion as a result of system malfunctions and the daily processing of over 100 passports.
Alhaji Idris stated that the standard processing time for a passport is between 15 and 21 days, excluding emergency and unusual circumstances, but "due to technical issues, we are occasionally unable to meet this deadline."