A former Deputy Communication minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has described as superfluous and redundant claims by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that the Ghana card would soon become a travel document.
He indicated that the presentation was a move to save the government from embarrassment and their mismanagement of the economy.
Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed that efforts are underway to get the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to recognise the Ghana-Card as an e-passport by the first quarter of next year.
He said the move is to allow the card to be read and verified in ICAO compliant countries and enable holders of the card to board flights to 197 countries and 44,000 airports worldwide.
Additionally, Ghanaian diasporans who are holding the Ghana-Card would not obtain visas to travel to the country.
“When this happens, holders of the Ghana card will be allowed to board any flight to Ghana. Furthermore, the good news for diasporan Ghanaians is that when the Ghana Immigration Service is linked to the NIA architecture, diasporan Ghanaians who hold the Ghana card should not have to obtain visas to travel to Ghana,” he added.
The Vice President made the announcement at the Ashesi University Campus on Tuesday, November 2 while addressing the topic: “Transforming an economy through digitalization: The Ghana story.”
But Mr. Kwakye Ofosu reacting to the comments said ”No Ghanaian requires a visa to enter Ghana. Simply brandishing a Ghanaian passport allows your entry without a visa.
To leave Ghana, however, you require a visa unless you are traveling to another West African country or a country with which we have a visa-free arrangement.
You will therefore require a passport for all international travel. The Ghana card cannot be a viable travel document. At best, it is superfluous and redundant.
Let us get serious and stop allowing persons who have mismanaged the economy to shift attention onto meager offerings that come nowhere near addressing the disastrous economic situation we find ourselves in.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
