From right: Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, traditional leaders, Gina Blay and Nidal Kamouni officially opening the PAC
DEPUTY Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, officially opened the Premium Application Centre (PAC) in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, November 14, 2023.
The Berlin PAC is the second of its kind established for the Ghanaian diaspora, following the successful launch of a similar facility in London in 2022.
The centre aims to enhance the existing consular services offered by the Ghanaian Embassy in Berlin and the Consulate in Hamburg.
This initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Access Group, under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Before the inauguration, Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong, together with Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Gina Ama Blay, engaged in sensitisation tours and public discussions in selected cities in Germany with the Ghanaian community.
These engagements focused on outlining the improved consular services designed to reduce to the barest minimum, challenges faced by applicants.
Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong at the opening ceremony said the PAC represents a significant step by the ministry to offer superior passport and visa services, building on a four-year successful pilot in Ghana.
“It promises a more efficient and comprehensive process for passport and visa application, providing a streamlined experience for compatriots and applicants of other nationalities,” he said.
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, indicated that the introduction of the Premium Centres is part of the ministry’s commitment to bring passport and visa services delivery closer to all Ghanaians and foreign visitors and to continuously improve on the quality of the services.
“It is heartwarming to note that this month of November 2023 marks the first anniversary of the opening of the London PAC; and I am happy to say that the commendable services provided by the PAC over the past year and the lessons learnt in the process contributed largely towards the decision to proceed with the existing plan of gradually opening more Premium Centres to complement the services of selected Ghana Embassies and Consulates,” he added.
He noted that Premium Application Centres located outside Ghana operate within the same framework, emphasising that the final assessment and approval (back-end aspect) of applications would remain the responsibility of the Consular Section of the Ghana Embassy in Berlin.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Gina Blay, in her remarks, expressed profound appreciation to Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong for his untiring efforts in establishing the PAC in Berlin and encouraged the Ghanaian community in Germany to patronise its services.
She noted that the establishment of the PAC would enable the embassy to concentrate on the back-end aspect of the application process, adding this would facilitate the processing of more applications.
Access Group CEO, Nidal Kamouni, emphasised that the partnership aimed to enhance the application experience for passports and visas, thereby reducing the workload on the embassy and allowing it to focus more on the decision-making processes.
A Daily Guide Report