|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Ghana’s newly launched e-visa portal forms part of the government’s broader strategy to position the country as open and attractive to business, tourism and investment.
The online visa platform, which officially went live on Africa Day, allows travellers from around the world to apply for Ghanaian visas entirely online without the need to physically visit embassies or consulates.
Speaking at the launch ceremony held at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City on Monday, May 25, the Foreign Affairs Minister explained that the initiative aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of making Ghana more accessible to the international community.
“The newly inaugurated President of the Republic declared that Ghana is open for business again,” Mr Ablakwa stated.
“And if Ghana must indeed demonstrate that we are open for business, then it means that our visa processing regime must also align with the President’s reset vision.”
According to the minister, the previous visa application process created significant frustration for many travellers and international partners due to delays, long queues and cumbersome procedures.
“Many of our international partners complained about how cumbersome the process was, the long queues, the delays, and sometimes how difficult it was to access visas,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa disclosed that Cabinet approved the e-visa policy as part of wider efforts to modernise Ghana’s immigration system and strengthen investor confidence.
“The President decided that, as part of his Ghana Open for Business strategy, we should overhaul the visa processing regime for our country,” he explained.
“That is what has culminated in today’s launch of an e-visa portal backed by an e-visa policy.”
In another major announcement, the minister revealed that visa fees for all African travellers entering Ghana have been abolished.
“On this Africa Day, the President has also decided that all people from the African continent will no longer have to pay visa fees to enter Ghana,” he announced.
“For the first time in our country’s history, visa fees for Africans have been completely scrapped.”
He described the move as a significant step toward promoting regional integration and strengthening ties across Africa.
Addressing concerns circulating on social media about an alleged existing e-visa contract, Mr Ablakwa clarified that no such arrangement exists.
“Let me assure the people of Ghana that there is no existing e-visa contract. Nothing of the sort exists,” he stated.
According to him, the government sought legal guidance from the Attorney General after reviewing documents linked to an existing machine-readable passport contract.
“The Attorney General’s opinion is that the machine-readable passport contract does not constitute an e-visa arrangement. They are entirely different,” he explained.
The minister further disclosed that the project is being implemented under a public-private partnership model, ensuring taxpayers are not burdened with the cost of establishing the system.
“The private partner is setting up the system under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications, NITA and the Cyber Security Authority,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak assured the public that national security would not be compromised by the simplified visa process.
According to him, the digital platform enables authorities to assess travellers before they even arrive in the country.
“Before a traveller even boards a plane, we already know who is coming. We assess risks early, identify threats early, and act early. This is modern border control,” he stated.
He stressed that Ghana remains committed to protecting its borders while welcoming the world for tourism, investment and global partnerships.
