MONROVIA, Jan. 23 (LINA) – The Government of Liberia, through Ambassador D-Maxwell Saah Kenayah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has launched an official opening of additional six Passport Application Centers in line with the ministry’s efforts to make passports accessible and affordable to the Liberians in the Diaspora, terming it as President George Weah’s vision for the citizenry.
He named Chicago-USA, Los Angeles-USA, Pretoria, South Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, Melbourne, Australia, and New Delhi, India as the first phase of expanding of Liberian passports to its citizens who are residing in the Diaspora, adding that as of immediately the centers remain open and operative to the Diaspora.
Liberians residing in the Diaspora, according to him, used to pay US$200 for each passport, adding that in line with President Weah’s vision and interest and the overall reforms at the ministry to making passport available and affordable, the Foreign Ministry advised the VFS-GLOBAL and the Buck firms, that are firms responsible for such initiative, to reduce the price to US$160 as a way of reducing financial burdens and difficulties of the Liberian people.
He asserted that currently passports are sold to Liberians in the Diaspora for US$160, with the launch of PACs US$60 will be for VFS-Global for service in collaboration with Buck Press, adding that the firm is only responsible for biometrics and to transport the passports to its clients in their various locals.
Kemayah said the government used to pay US$27 for each passport to be sent back to an applicant within the same US$200, adding that now government will not be paying that amount, and Diaspora Liberians will have an extra US$40 saved for them.
Before the launch, Kemayah disclosed that the country had only eight operating application centers in line with the reform process, naming the following locations as the Embassies of Liberia in Accra, Ghana, Nigeria, China, London, Washington DC, and the Consulate General of Liberia in New York, and the Honorary Consulate of Liberia in Minnesota, USA.
« The reason we embarked on the PACs is, that there are many Liberian citizens who need to legalize their residential requirements in their host countries. Most of them are in possession of either outdated or expired passports », he said, adding: « In the absence of the passport application center, it has been difficult and almost impossible for them to secure their national identity document to be able to regularize their statuses in the host countries. »
Speaking recently at the MICAT press briefing in Monrovia, Amb. Kemayah said that the application centers are formed to reduce the burdens or challenges that Liberians faced when in serious need of their country of origin passports as it helps to legalize their status in the host country.
He further said, the opening of PACs are part of reforms at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide affordable and convenient methods for the acquisition of passports by Liberians residing in the Diaspora who have been inconvenienced to travel distances, posing financial burden when considering cost of travel, accommodation and other related expenses.
The top Foreign Ministry official added that these Passport Application Centers are being opened under an arrangement with the Passport Contractor, Buck Press and VFS- Global, which have served as specialist firms that work with several government and diplomatic missions worldwide.
Kemayah added that with the constraints or financial burdens, the Foreign Ministry contacted the VFS- Global firm which was issuing passports to reduce the price to at most US$160, inclusive of all of its processes, stating that the firm was not brought in by the CDC-led government but rather the government it succeeded.
« Liberians, irrespective of separate geographic location, social, ethnic, religious, or economics background, whosoever you are, whether from the ruling party, whether from the opposition parties, whether you are in politics or not, whether you voted or desiring to vote, as long as you are Liberians, these services are enshrined within the vision of His Excellency, President George Weah to make available and affordable to you and that is primary focus which informed our move. »
Kemayah believes that Passports are very essential to the movement of people from one local to another, noting that government takes the equal possession of Passports to its very seriously and that is why it has put such initiative into place.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Kemayah said phase two of the launch will take place on February 23, 2023 and will be launched in twenty countries around the world.
He named the following locations that the additional 20 centers will be opened the USA, Europe, Canada, Africa, Canada and China, adding that discussion had been held with VFS-Global Services for the named areas to be created as of February 23, 2023.
K. Ericson Sayee & Bernice A. Doe
