Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has dismissed allegations made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, regarding a $38.2 million visa processing scandal.
In a statement, the Ministry described Ablakwa’s claims as “largely incorrect” and “calculated to deliberately mislead the public”.
According to the Ministry, an agreement was signed with Access Services Ghana Limited (Access) in August 2022 to facilitate visa and consular services through premium application centers at Ghana’s Missions abroad.
This arrangement is consistent with global standards, where third-party visa application centers handle application receipt and biometric data capture.
The Ministry clarified that visa fees collected by Missions will not be affected by the agreement and will continue to be paid directly into Mission accounts.
Additionally, Access will provide premium front-end visa application services, with fees ranging from $45 to $55 and €55, depending on the country.
The statement said Missions will receive €7, $7, and €7 from these fees, providing an additional revenue stream.
Okudzeto Ablakwa’s financial analysis, claiming Access would rake in $38.2 million while the Foreign Ministry receives only $2 million, was labeled “grossly misleading.”
The Ministry pointed out that Ablakwa’s analysis ignored taxes, capital, and recurrent expenses Access would incur between 2024 and 2028.
This is not the first time Ablakwa has been criticized for his miconduct.
In 2018, the Majority in Parliament accused him of leaking official documents and spreading misinformation.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, described Ablakwa’s behavior as a “nuisance”.
The Ministry has urged the public to disregard Ablakwa’s publication, which seeks to misinform about their efforts to improve consular services.
-BY Daniel Bampoe