The Ministry of Interior has officially gone paperless with the launch of an online digital service portal, designed to provide a wide range of critical services swiftly and efficiently. The portal will handle applications such as immigrant quota permits, renunciation of Ghanaian citizenship, dual nationality/citizenship applications, registration and naturalisation as a citizen of Ghana, and registration of minors as citizens.
In addition, the portal will manage security and regulatory services, including licensing private security organisations, permissions to import or export explosives, arms and ammunition permits, firearms (pistol) licensing, auctioneer's licences, and keys-cutting permits.
The Sector Minister, Mr Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, who launched the digital platform in Accra, stated that the portal resolves issues linked to manual, paper-based processes while modernising operations, enhancing data integrity and security, and providing comprehensive digital access to the public. He noted that the initiative is part of the government's commitment to a modern, secure, and inclusive digital economy, making public services more accessible, transparent, and responsive to citizens' needs.
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Mr Mubarak explained that the portal would streamline services related to national security, public safety, migration management, business operations, and citizens' rights, which previously took days to process. "These services are now digitalised to simplify application processes, reduce processing time, enhance verification through NIA integration, and provide applicants with real-time updates from submission to approval," he said.
The Minister highlighted that security and regulatory services, including private security licensing, explosives and arms permits, firearm licensing, auctioneer's licences, and key-cutting permits, have all been fully digitalised to streamline documentation, ensure proper verification, eliminate delays, and speed up processes, particularly in sensitive situations affecting families.
He also noted that three weeks prior, the Ministry had launched the first phase of its digitalisation drive: a centralised e-recruitment portal for all security services. This platform has streamlined recruitment processes for the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Immigration Service, ensuring transparency, fairness, and efficiency while providing real-time updates and secure document submission online and via mobile devices.
Mr Mubarak reiterated that digitalisation is now a central pillar of national development, guided by priorities such as expanding e-governance, strengthening cybersecurity, building a digitally skilled workforce, and creating a seamless interface between citizens and the State. He added that this transformation fully aligns with the government's agenda of positioning the Interior sector as a driver of the digital State.
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"Together, these initiatives demonstrate our unwavering commitment to leveraging technology to improve service delivery, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen citizen engagement across the Interior sector," Mr Mubarak stated. He concluded that the launch of the Ministry of the Interior Online Digital Services Portal marks a significant milestone in Ghana's national digital transformation agenda under the leadership of H.E. John Dramani Mahama.
