Ho, Aug. 29, GNA - Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister for Foreign Affairs, has opened a Biometric Passport Application Centre in Ho with an appeal to prospective applicants not to rush to obtain the new passports. The Ho centre is the sixth after those in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Sunyani.

Alhaji Mumuni assured those holding 93machine-readable" passports t= hat they would be in use until November 2015. He urged Ghanaians to protect the integrity of the biometric passports by reporting any foreigner who might attempt to obtain it and that no middle-men would be required to obtain the new passports. Alhaji Mumuni said the new passports which have high security and bio-data features would require prospective applicants to be personally available at the Centres to complete the application processes and requirements.

He said the new passports are valid for travelling in both the ECOWAS sub-region and internationally.

Alhaji Mumuni said any Ghanaian who travels to any ECOWAS country with the new passport could stay in that country for three months without a resident permit. Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, said the acquisition of the passport was a right available to every Ghanaian. He said the opening of the Centre was a welcome relief to prospective passport applicants in the region as they would not have to travel to Accra to obtain their passports.