The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacts to Ablakwa’s claim

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is the MP for North Tongu

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to the claims of North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa regarding the application and processing of visas.

On October 17, 2024, Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed that he had intercepted contract documents between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and a company known as Access Citizens Services Ghana Limited.

According to him, the document shows that Access Services will handle all front-end visa applications for Ghanaian visa seekers worldwide.

Ablakwa also expressed concern that Access Citizens will collect about $38.2 million between now and September 2028, while Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs would receive only $2 million of that amount.

The ministry in a press statement dated October 18, 2024 described Ablakwa’s claims as misleading.

He clarified that the agreement with Access Services is in line with global standard visa application processing.

“The agreement with Access conforms to global standard visa application processing whereby the receipt of applications and the capture of biometric data is carried out by third-party visa application centres,” it says the statement

The Ministry further explained that Ablakwa’s claims about Access Citizens making about US$38.2 million between now and September 2028 are mischievous as it failed to take into account key costs such as taxes, capital and recurring expenses, among others.

“The claim of the Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that according to his “conservative financial analysis, Access Citizens would raise about $38.2 million between now and September 2028, while Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is struggling to come up with $2 million of dollars” is very misleading.

“Curiously not included in the financial analysis are the taxes, capital and recurring expenses that Access would incur between now and September 2028, as well as what percentage of the so-called projected revenue of US$38.2 million would constitute these expenses. Ignoring these key cost imperatives in any well-intentioned analysis seems mischievous, as adding them would clearly expose the intended harm,” the statement added.

Read the full statement below:

MAG/EK