Accra: Dr Lawrence Tetteh, the Founder and President of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, has praised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for launching Ghana’s chip-embedded passport. He emphasized that this development signifies the government’s dedication to meeting international travel standards. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency during the passport’s launch event, Dr Tetteh expressed his satisfaction, noting his involvement in the project over the past nine years and his gratification at witnessing its completion.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Tetteh, who holds a background in Economics and International Relations from Hungary, highlighted that until December 2, Ghana was the sole nation in the West African region lacking a chip-embedded passport. He described the achievement as significant for frequent travelers like himself and extended his congratulations to the collaborators and stakeholders involved in the Ghana-Hungarian partnership. He also acknowledged the contributio
ns of Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and her predecessor, for their dedication to realizing this initiative.
Dr Tetteh further commended Ms Botchwey on her appointment as the next Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and praised the Government of Hungary for its support in advancing Ghana’s socioeconomic development. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated the chip-embedded passport in Accra, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s travel documentation.
The project, initiated in 2016 under the Passports and Travel Certificates Act 1967 (NLCD 155), was executed through a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) model. The Ministry collaborated with Biometric Travel Solutions Limited, a private Ghanaian company, to bring the project to fruition. The initiative aims to align Ghanaian passports with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s standards and the rapidly evolving global norms for biometric identification. The partnership a
lso includes stakeholders from Hungary, underscoring the international collaboration involved in the project.