THE Eastern Regional Directorate of the Information Services Department (ISD) at the weekend intensified its campaign on the new biometric passports.
The biometric passports, which are expected to be issued from April 1, this year, would replace those currently in use.
As part of the sensitisation campaign on the new passports, officials of the ISD first briefed the Eastern Regional Press Corps after which it teamed up with the regional branch of the Immigration Service to drum home the message in specially arranged meetings with personnel of the various ministries, departments and agencies in Koforidua.
The new biometric passports, would not only make the Ghanaian passports acceptable internationally, but would also avoid multiple acquisitions.
Its special features such as the fingerprint, signature, and digital photograph of the holder, among other data, would also make it possible to prevent identity theft, easy verification of identity and proof of ownership.
Briefing the Eastern Regional press corps in Koforidua, the Regional Information Officer, Mr Akwasi Amankwaa, said the special features would also eliminate passport contractors and improve on the electronic share of information within national and international agencies.
Touching on the processes involved in the acquisition of the new passports, Mr Amankwaa said they involved a one-time payment at centres where after obtaining their passport application forms from designated banks and post offices, applicants would pay for the processing fees at the same venues.
That, he said, was against the old system where applicants had to buy the forms from a venue and then proceed to an immigration or passport office to pay for the processing fee.
Mr Amankwaa explained that after filling the passport application forms, an applicant would have to go with his or her valid birth certificate and all other necessary documents to a Passport Application Centre (PAC) where the one would be cross-examined and if qualified, would be issued with a submission receipt to collect the passport within 15 working days.
In a statement issued by the ISD after its encounter with the press, it said officials of the regional branch of the Immigration Services Department led by the Regional Commander, Mr Divine Narlobi, teamed up with ISD to sensitise personnel of the various ministries, departments and agencies in the regional capital.
It said the meetings created platforms for the public to ask a number of questions on the new passports to be answered.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the sensitisation exercise to cover the districts has started.
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