The system, which would help applicants to apply for the police clearance certificates online through eservices.police.gov.gh,  is a major shift from the traditional process which involved embassy notifications, applying in person, and waiting for ten days.

The certificate would help verify the absence of criminal records and would be important for visa applicants and travellers.

The new digital platform, which is being piloted in some regions, had increased efficiency and convenience for applicants and would be rolled out nationwide.

To access the digital service, applicants must first register with an account on eservices.police.gov.gh’.

Once registered, applicants would have to select the desired service type, provide their personal information, and securely make payments through the official government payment platform, Ghana.Gov.

Applicants would then schedule an appointment and visit the designated centre to have their fingerprints digitally scanned, using advanced livescan technology.

This modern approach would eliminate the conventional method, involving manual ink fingerprinting using rollers and slabs, which often require applicants to travel to police regions.

Before this digital advancement, there were some persistent challenges for individuals residing outside Accra with delays occurring due to the processing of applications that had not been promptly transferred to the central processing unit in Accra.

The manual scanning of ink fingerprints on paper at the CID Headquarters had also contributed to delays and issues such as loss of receipts, incorrect spelling of names on receipts, and difficulty in tracking application statuses.