Poor service at Ghana Premium Passport & Visa Centre – London (Eye witness)
The ministry of Foreign Affairs inaugurated Ghana passport and visa Premium Application Centre (PAC) at the Tower Hill London in August 2022. The centre is managed by a company called ACCESS Group and registered as Access Citizens Service UK Limited – A company with only 1 director.
There have been numerous complains of poor service offered by the ACCESS group on behalf of the Republic of Ghana.
NSG News rep had a first-hand experience at PAC on 7th March 2023 and can testify that the service is unprofessional and chaotic at the same time.
The consensus of all applicants at the centre on the 7th March 2023 is, the centre and the service offered is not worthy of the name Premium Application Centre and some of those individuals have previously used the services at the Ghana High commission’s visa/passport application centre Highgate – London N6 5HE.
The frustration on the faces of the applicants both Ghana and foreign nationals is a look of pain, having paid a high price with the hope for a premium service but offered a service less than standard.
At some point NSG News rep apologised to some of the foreign nationals and told them Ghana is better than this and some even attest to the fact that, the service at the High commission is much better and of a superior quality compared to the PAC services by ACCESS GROUP.
There is no segregation between Ghana and foreign nationals.
A paid premium Ghana passport application have 15 days timeline for the passport to be ready – there is nothing premium about this at all.
The NSG News rep asked the manager (Arif) “Why the whole centre and process so chaotic? – he answered it is not – quite a dishonest answer as the chaos was the experience of all applicant and staff present. When asked if ACCESS Group could offer the same mediocre and inferior type service to the UK or US? he declined to answer.
When the NSG News rep paid and was then told his passport will be ready in 15 days, he asked what is premium about the service rendered having being made to pay a premium price? – the manager (Arif) came and said “It is not a premium service – it is a premium application centre” – How can a premium application centre charging all applicants premium price but somehow not offering a premium service?
ACCESS Group is extorting money from Ghana and foreign nationals, for visa & passport application while offering them a substandard service.
The centre was overbooked, some do not have chairs to seat on, a very small place, the manager was shouting across the room at the tellers who were mostly Ghanaians as he shuffles them from one counter and service to another. Woefully inadequate staff.
The only Ghana flag on display is pathetically drop in one corner – The staff kitchen open and accessible no partition wall only a temporary board.
Some of the information post held in place with peg.
NSG News cease the opportunity to talk to some of the applicants both Ghanaians and foreign nationals.
A One 6yrs old boy have this to say – “The service is not good, and it was so mean”.
An 8 year old girl – “It was very bad, the chairs are clumped together, The PAC has no great quality at all – three hours for a premium service? She complained”
10yrs old boy – “a poor quality serviced and not organised. Three hours to biometric? This is a minus five-star service”.
One other Ghanaian applicant – noted that, the behaviour, process, and lack of certainty by the PAC will deter visitors and not encourage tourism and business into Ghana.
A foreign national who prefers to be anonymous – promised NSG News rep an account on the PAC – NSG will follow up and share the review once received.
In a news carried by Ghana Business News (GBN) on 15th November 2022 stated “Prior to the establishment of PAC, the Ministry, led by “Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, in charge of passports and visas, said “the plans for rolling out the improved consular services, is to ease the pressure and challenges that many applicants faced”
However, the first-hand stressful experience of NSG News rep at the PAC, tells a different story. There is no improvement and if anything at all, it is a retrogression to the quality of service offered by Ghana High Commission at Highgate – London N6 5HE
If this was the centre the ministry for Foreign Affairs inaugurated in August 2022 as the PAC managed by ACCESS Group (AG), then there is the need for a thorough investigation into when did the ministry for Foreign Affairs tendered the contract to the whole world, how many companies bid for the contract, how did the contract got awarded to this AG company which was incorporated 5 March 2022 with only 2 directors but now only one director. What distinguished AG from the rest of the companies? What is agreed in the contract of services to be offered to Ghana and foreign nationals when awarded the contract?
The level of sophistication, professionalism, customer service, the centre, process and arrangement is inferior and mediocre especially being a centre in the heart of London – Tower Hill.
NSG News want to take this opportunity to commend the best behaviour of Ghanaians present at the centre on 7th March 2023 irrespective of the frustration due to the unprofessional and chaotic nature of the application process at the PAC
“This is a minus Five Star Service” – Said a 10 years old boy.
Check back on NSG News for update on this developing story.
