The Minority in Parliament is sounding the alarm bells over a $7 charge imposed by government on airline tickets.
The Minority describes the charge as illegal as it is only Parliament that can impose fees and charges.
Sources indicate that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is impressing on airlines to add $7 per passenger on each international airline ticket sold and remit the same to government agency as a luggage fumigation charge.
AviationGhana sources revealed that the decision of the GHS was conveyed by the Ghana Airports Company Limited to airlines servicing Accra's Kotoka International Airport at a meeting held on Thursday, June 22, in Accra.
Speaking to JoyNews, Minority Chief Whip and Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee Governs Kwame Agbodza urged airlines to disregard the directive from government to charge that amount.
"The stakeholders have been unhappy about it, the airlines feel this will make their work even more difficult knowing that after COVID, many airlines and related businesses are still struggling to recover.
"You'd realize that airline tickets are still considerably high. To charge this amount for fumigation of bags is an absurdity. We are not going to accept this.
"No agency of government has the right to impose additional charges without the knowledge of Parliament and I encourage airlines to disregard this for now until we all come to the conclusion that this is relevant," he said.
Governs Kwame Agbodza also explained that Parliament had been completely sidelined in the imposition of the charge insisting the relevant committee in Parliament, the Roads and Transport Committee was not privy to the charge.
The Minority Chief Whip also claimed this an avenue by some government officials to steal from the ordinary Ghanaian even in these challenging economic times.
"I've never seen anything like fumigation of bag charge before, in any case, what is the meaning of fumigation of bags that you're going to charge passengers US$7?
"What kind of chemicals are you going to use? What kind of contamination are we talking about? This is a very unnecessary attempt to basically take close to $15 million from passengers.
"This is not the time, the airlines are struggling, people are squeezed, we should not be making life difficult for the airlines and the passengers", he stressed.
The Minority say they will in the coming days push for the full details to be brought to Parliament and do everything necessary to prevent the imposition of what they are calling an illegal charge.
Latest Stories
-
Kenyan blogger’s wife seeks answers after his death in police custody
1 hour -
Gunmen kill at least 100 people in Nigeria’s Benue state, Amnesty International says
2 hours -
Ivory Coast workers say Unilever is violating their union rights amid share sale, documents show
2 hours -
Trump floats plan for undocumented farm and hotel workers to work legally in the U.S.
2 hours -
South Africa stocks suffer $3.7bn losing streak from foreign investors
2 hours -
Mahama orders military to secure Bolga-Bawku-Pulmakom road
2 hours -
Nigerian President Tinubu’s pardon of ‘Ogoni Nine’ draws ethnic group’s rejection
3 hours -
Senior Kenyan policeman arrested over death of blogger in custody
3 hours -
Egypt deports dozens more foreign nationals heading for march to Gaza
3 hours -
Egypt halts fertiliser production as Israeli gas disruptions deepen energy strain
3 hours -
Mali hopes Russia partnership will help end raw gold exports
3 hours -
WHO warns of spread of cholera outbreak from Sudan to Chad refugee camps
4 hours -
Tunisia sentences prominent opposition figure Abir Moussi to two years in prison
4 hours -
Half of December shows in Ghana by your favourite artistes were all free – Ruddy Kwakye
4 hours -
My dad gave me a kidney – now I can have my dream wedding
4 hours