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The passport office will begin to issue machine readable passports with biometric data to applicants from April 2010. Under the new system passport applicants will be required to present themselves at the passport application centers for their biometric data such as photographs and finger prints to be taken at the time of presenting their application forms instead of submitting photographs with passport application forms already thumb printed somewhere. This is intended to eliminate �middle men� popularly known as passport contractors. The minister of foreign affairs and regional integration Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni announced this in parliament today in response to a question by Hon. Justice Joe Appiah MP for Ablekuma North. The MP wanted to know when the MP will operationalise the decentralization of the issuance of Ghanaian passport and measures being taken to eliminate the activities of middle men popularly known as passport contractors. Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni said seven (7) application centers will be established in Accra, Tamale, Ho, Secondi /Takoradi, Sunyani and the passport office for the issuance of the biometric passport. According to the Minister the current passport issued to applicants will be faced out gradually when the biometric passport is introduced in April 2010.