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Ablakwa announces special bonus for passport staff after service ranked least corrupt

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced a special bonus for staff of Ghana’s Passport Administration following the institution’s recognition as the most transformed and least corrupt public institution in a recent Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) report.

3news.com ·

Ablakwa announces special bonus for passport staff after service ranked least corrupt

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced an additional financial incentive for personnel at Ghana’s Passport Administration, following the institution’s high ranking as the most transformed and least corrupt public agency in a recent assessment by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). During a visit to the Passport Head Office, Ablakwa lauded the administration and staff for their outstanding performance, announcing that they would receive the bonus next week.

The government plans to continue implementing "radical reforms" aimed at enhancing integrity, professionalism, innovation, client satisfaction, and excellence in passport administration. Highlighting Ghana’s "Remarkable Passport Reset," Ablakwa detailed several reforms, including the issuance of advanced chip-embedded passports, improved visa-waiver arrangements, elimination of application backlogs through 24-hour operations, and a 30% reduction in processing fees.

Additional reforms include courier services for quicker delivery, same-day processing options, digital tracking of applications, and enhanced security measures to prevent illegal acquisition of passports. Passport Application Centres have been established in all 16 regions, marking a historic first for Ghana. Ablakwa expressed confidence that these reforms would bolster public trust in Ghana’s passport administration and enhance the country’s international standing.

Written by urgent.news from 3News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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[Editorial] President Lee's Post-War Proposal for "Talks Among Parties Concerned": He Must Persuade China and the U.S. First 북한의 김정일 국방위원장과 이명박 대통령의 정상회담이 성사될 경우, 한반도 종전과 관련한 논의가 이뤄질 것이라는 전망이 나온다. If a summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and President Lee Myung-bak is materialized, it is expected that discussions on ending the Korean War will take place. 김 위원장이 지난달 28일 남한에 대한 포격 도발로 한반도 긴장이 고조된 상황에서 이 대통령과 회담을 갖겠다는 의사를 밝힌 이후, 이 대통령과 김 위원장간의 정상회담 개최를 위한 남북한간 협의가 진행되고 있다. Following Kim Jong-il's military provocation against South Korea on March 28, which heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Kim expressed his intention to hold a summit with President Lee. Since then, inter-Korean consultations have been underway for the two leaders to meet. 이와 관련, 이 대통령은 지난 1일 “한반도 종전 문제를 당사자들이 논의하는 계기가 필요하다”며 “정상회담이 그런 논의의 장이 될 수 있다”고 말했다. In this regard, on April 1, President Lee stated, "We need an opportunity for parties concerned to discuss the issue of ending the Korean War" and added, "A summit meeting can be a venue for such discussions." 이 대통령의 발언은 남북한만의 논의로는 종전 문제를 풀기 어렵다는 점을 인식하고 있음을 시사한다. President Lee's remarks suggest that he is aware that the two Koreas alone cannot resolve the issue of ending the war. 한반도 종전과 평화협정 체결에는 북한과 남한은 물론 미국과 중국 등 4개국이 당사자로 참여해야 한다는 점에서 이 대통령의 인식은 당연한 것이다. It is a natural recognition that President Lee has, given that four countries - North and South Korea, the U.S. and China - must participate in discussions as parties concerned in order to end the Korean War and conclude a peace treaty. 다만 이 대통령과 김 위원장간의 정상회담에서 종전 논의가 이뤄진다고 해도 실제 종전과 평화협정 체결로 이어질 가능성은 크지 않다. However, even if the summit between President Lee and Kim Jong-il leads to discussions on ending the war, it is unlikely to actually result in an end to the war and the conclusion of a peace treaty. 우선 북한과 남한이 종전 문제를 논의한다 해도 미국과 중국의 참여가 보장되지 않은 상황에서 북한이 진정성을 가지고 대화에 나설지는 불투명하다. First, even if North and South Korea discuss the issue of ending the war, it remains uncertain whether North Korea will engage in talks in good faith, given that there is no guarantee that the U.S. and China will participate. 북한은 그동안 일관되게 한국전 종전과 관련, 미국과의 양자협상을 주장해 왔다. North Korea has consistently called for bilateral talks with the U.S. regarding the end of the Korean War. 미국은 북한의 비핵화 검증과 북한에 대한 식량지원 재개 등을 연계시키면서 북한과 의미있는 대화에 나서지 않고 있다. The U.S. has not engaged in meaningful talks with North Korea, linking verification of North Korea's denuclearization with the resumption of food aid to the country. 중국은 한반도 종전과 평화협정 체결 논의에 참여할 뜻을 밝힌 바 있지만, 실제 협상에 나설지는 미지수다. China has expressed its intention to participate in discussions on ending the Korean War and concluding a peace treaty, but it remains to be seen whether it will actually take part in negotiations. 이런 상황에서 이 대통령과 김 위원장간의 정상회담이 개최된다고 해도, 종전 논의가 진전되기보다는 오히려 남북한간 이견만 부각될 가능성도 있다. Under these circumstances, even if a summit meeting between President Lee and Kim Jong-il is held, rather than making progress in discussions on ending the war, it may only highlight differences in views between the two Koreas. 따라서 이 대통령은 우선 미국과 중국을 설득하는 노력을 기울여야 한다. Therefore, President Lee must first make efforts to persuade the U.S. and China. 정상회담 개최를 위한 남북한간 협의과정에서 이 대통령이 워싱턴과 베이징을 직접 방문해 줄 것을 기대하는 목소리가 나오는 이유다. This is why there are calls for President Lee to visit Washington and Beijing in person during inter-Korean consultations for a summit meeting. 이 대통령의 리더십을 바탕으로 미국과 중국이 한반도 종전 논의에 적극 참여할 수 있도록 설득해야 한다. Based on his leadership, President Lee must persuade the U.S. and China to actively participate in discussions on ending the Korean War. 그래야 이 대통령과 김 위원장간의 정상회담이 한반도 종전 논의의 실질적인 진전을 가져올 수 있을 것이다. Only then will the summit meeting between President Lee and Kim Jong-il be able to bring about substantial progress in discussions on ending the Korean War.

·hani.co.kr

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