The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has handed over a decommissioned passport processing equipment valued at GH₵539,574.00 to the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) to support its humanitarian mandate.
The items, comprised four passport printers, four lamination machines, four Canon cameras, one Epson receipt printer and two signature pads.
The equipment were previously used for the processing of biometric passports but became redundant following the Ministry's passport administration reforms and transition to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-compliant chip-embedded passports.
The decommissioned equipment are complete biometric ID enrollment and production system, to be used by the Ghana Refugee Board to produce its own secure documents for asylum seekers and refugees.
It aimed supporting the Board in registering, renewal and replacement of IDs, reducing reliance on external contractors and improving service delivery.
The symbolic presentation ceremony was held last Friday (August 21, 20260, at the Ministry in Accra.
Collaboration
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who made the presentation, said the gesture was in the spirit of transparency and inter-agency collaboration. `
"For media purposes and in the spirit of transparency, these items are worth GH₵539,574.00. So, the auditors must know that they are no longer in our possession.
“We took good care of them and we've handed them to you and we know you will take very good care of them," he said.
He said management decided to honour a request from the Refugee Board for the equipment instead of allowing it to gather dust and become obsolete.
The Minister stressed that the equipment had been tested and certified as fully functional by the Ministry's IT Department.
Commendation
He commended the Ghana Refugee Board for its role in consular assistance and for positioning Ghana as a safe haven for persons displaced by conflict, natural disasters and political challenges.
Mr Ablakwa cited Ghana's rich history of hospitality, particularly its hosting of Liberian refugees for over a decade at the Buduburam camp.
He added that supporting the Board enhances Ghana's image as a nation that believes in Pan-Africanism, good neighbourliness and international solidarity.
Acknowledging the Board's funding constraints, especially following UNHCR funding cuts, the Minister said he has advocated in Parliament for increased resources for the Board and expressed hope that the gesture would encourage other partners to support it in cash and kind.
Appreciation
Receiving the items on behalf of the Board, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Refugee Board, Nana Asare Bediako, expressed profound gratitude to the Ministry.
Mr Bediako said the Board is facing significant challenges due to the UNHCR funding cut and said the equipment would go a long way to improve service delivery to refugees.
"We are hoping to do what we can to make sure our refugees are served better. We say thank you very much, and may the good Lord continue to bless you and your team," he added.
