The presentation formed part of an ongoing reform project in the public sector through the PSRRP by the Government of Ghana with funding support from the World Bank to enhance service delivery in the sector.

The PSRRP, a four-year programme from 2019 to 2023, seeks to improve access, quality and accountability of delivery of administrative services provided by selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The project covers 13 selected entities, all public sector institutions, including the Passport Office as one of the frontline service delivery agencies.

The other MDAs are the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, Births and Deaths Registry, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation  and Rural Development.

The rest are Public Services Commission, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat, National Information Technology Agency, and Public Sector Reform Secretariat.

The IT Equipment presented to the Passport Office is estimated at US$ 1,323,139.17 and comprised a 50 – Dell Optiplex 7400 All-in-One Desktop Computers, ten Dell EMC PowerEdge R940 Servers, ten APC Smart-UPS SRT 5000V A Uninterruptible Power Supply systems, and 60 Canon EOS 4000D Digital Cameras.

Others are 60 Multi-Functional Portable Lightweight Aluminum Camera Tripods, 70  Canon Canoscan 9000F Mark II Scanners, 60 Topaz Fingerprint / Signature machines, and 20 Samsung 2.0 HP Split Air Conditioners.

Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Presidential Advisor, at the presentation, said the Passport Office in Accra and its offices across the country were being supported for efficient service delivery.

He said other equipment, including modern passport printers would be provided to the Office before the end of year.

“We believe these activities and support to the Passport Office will provide the needed reforms and enhance services delivered to the citizens, ” he said.

Mr Mohammed Habib Idris, Director of Passport Office, assured that the equipment  would be put to good use.

“We will make very good use of them for the greater benefit of delivering efficient services particularly on the timely issuance of passports.”