We started e-visa portal – NPP

The Minority in Parliament says Ghana’s newly launched e-visa portal was initiated under the previous New Patriotic Party administration.

The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, argued that the current government should recognise the groundwork laid by the former administration in developing the electronic visa application system officially unveiled by President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, May 25.

The digital visa platform enables foreign nationals travelling to Ghana to submit visa applications online, eliminating the cumbersome paper-based application process and reducing the need to send supporting documents physically through courier services.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh stressed that national development projects should transcend political transitions, insisting governments must continue beneficial initiatives started by their predecessors.

“I have maintained and said that when you come and find something your predecessor has done which is good, you continue it. You do not discontinue it because someone started it. My only problem and sharp disagreement is when it comes to play or the impression is created as if it came from the blue, it came from the skies, nothing of this sort was existing, and it was not a build-upon,” he said.

According to him, the e-visa initiative dates back to 2020 during the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, when government entered into a technical partnership agreement with Swiss technology company Orell Füssli to support the development of the system.

“That company has the equipment, the machines, the technology for building this e-visa system. That was how we began,” he added.

Meanwhile, President Mahama has assured that Ghana’s decision to remove visa fees for African travellers will not weaken the country’s immigration and security protocols.

Launching the fully digital portal in Accra during the Africa Day celebrations, the President said all travellers from across the continent would still undergo mandatory screening and verification processes before entering Ghana.

“Africans will continue to undergo all the necessary vetting and due diligence. The financial barrier for all African travel has been removed,” President Mahama stated.

He added, “What remains intact is our commitment to security, order and effective border management.”

Under the new arrangement, African passport holders travelling to Ghana for tourism or business can apply for visas online free of charge before arrival, replacing the previous visa-on-arrival system that relied heavily on manual approvals at entry points.