Diaspora News of Friday, 30 October 2020

Source: Embassy of Ghana in Rome

Embassy of Ghana in Rome launches online application and biometric passport printing system

Ghana Ghana

Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy H.E Mrs Eudora Quartey Koranteng on 30th October 2020 Launched the Embassy’s Online Application and Biometric Passport Printing System with an assurance that the Embassy had entered into a new era of improved service delivery.

In her remarks, HE. Quartey Koranteng noted that in line with the Government of Ghana’s digitisation policy and quest to ensure that Ghanaians in the diaspora received improved Consular Services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration had steadily been rolling out the online application and biometric passport printing systems in Ghana Missions abroad.

The Ambassador recalled that on assumption of duty, she made the improvement of the efficiency of the Mission through the introduction of an effective online and passport printing system a priority. She announced that those targets had been met with the installation of the Embassy’s Biometric Passport Printing System in August 2020 and then the Online Application System on the 28th of September, 2020 when it went live with the regime.

The Ghanaian community had overwhelming embraced the new regime. The Ambassador revealed that just about a month after going live with the services, over three thousand (3000) applicants had submitted applications online for passports alone, out of which some 400 had been enrolled and had their passports issued and delivered to them.

Ambassador Quartey Koranteng intimated that there was cause to celebrate the historic occasion, as the Rome Embassy, became the first of the Ghana Missions to have its online and passport systems configured remotely from Accra. The celebration had had to be undertaken in a subdued manner due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

The Ambassador stated that the Embassy had taken note of requests by prospective applicants for the introduction of express services and earlier appointments dates. This, she said, was receiving the due consideration vis a vis COVID-19 restrictions.

Ambassador Quartey Koranteng thanked The Government of Ghana and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for making it possible for the Rome Mission to be able to efficiently discharge its mandate aided by modern technology and assured the general public of its determination to continue to improve service delivery. She congratulated the technical team and staff for taking up the challenge of making the deployment of the system possible.

The ceremony was attended by a few leadership of the Ghanaian community in Italy and staff of the Embassy.