Samuel Abu Jinapor, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee
Samuel A. Jinapor, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has clarified that the widespread introduction of Ghana’s chip-embedded passport is not a recent government initiative, as some have suggested, but rather the result of years of careful planning, procurement, and implementation during the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
In a press statement dated May 6, 2025, Jinapor outlined the policy actions and timelines that culminated in the successful creation and rollout of the chip-embedded biometric passport program.
He described subsequent attempts to relaunch the initiative as “unnecessary” and a misrepresentation of the facts.
“Every essential aspect of the chip-embedded passport programme—from policy formulation to contract execution and logistical delivery—was meticulously completed by the Akufo-Addo Government before it handed over on 7th January 2025,” he emphasized.
Jinapor noted that the initiative was inspired by the 2013 ICAO TRIP Strategy, which promoted the adoption of electronic travel documents. While preliminary discussions began under earlier administrations, he asserted that it was the Akufo-Addo government that prioritized the program in 2017 as part of its broader digitalization agenda.
He detailed how 25th Century Technology Limited and Buck Press Limited were selected through a competitive procurement process to execute the project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The two firms subsequently formed Biometric Travel Solutions Limited. This arrangement, Jinapor noted, helped minimize the financial burden on the state.
High-ranking officials received the first batch of chip-embedded passports, which were formally launched by then-President Akufo-Addo on December 2, 2024. At the time, the project had already secured 50,000 passport booklets, with an additional 200,000 on order, laying the groundwork for a smooth nationwide rollout.
“It is, therefore, through the hard work and dedication of the Akufo-Addo Government that Ghana is now issuing electronic chip-embedded passports,” Jinapor stated.
The former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources urged the current administration to “focus on effective distribution and roll-out” instead of seeking credit for the initiative.
He criticized what he described as the current government’s “alleged re-launch,” calling it “an unnecessary burden on the public purse” and a betrayal of institutional integrity.
Jinapor concluded by affirming the Minority Caucus of the Foreign Affairs Committee’s commitment to protecting the public interest and ensuring the historical record is set straight.
KA
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