Parliament summons Minister to address $20 levy saga at KIA

Parliament has summoned the Minister for Transport to appear before the house on March 19 to explain the $20 charge by GACL at the Kotoka International Aiport. Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah will appear before the House later next Tuesday to address the issue.

The Ghana Airports Company Limited on March 11, 2024, dated letter said effective May 1, 2024, all travellers using the country’s busiest airport will pay either $20 or $10 for maintenance of baggage belts. Signed by the Managing Director of GACL, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, the letter said it will apply to all round-trips and one-way trips.

“Further to discussions with the executives of the Airport Operators Committee regarding our baggage belt overhauling and maintenance issues, the Board of Directors of Ghana Airports Company Limited, in consultation with the Ministry of Transport, is instituting maintenance charge of $20 on all round-trip airline tickets ($10 to be charged each way.”

However, reacting to the announcement, the nation’s legislator has stepped in. According to MP for Tamale South and former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, GACL has no authority to “impose fees and charges”. He questioned the legitimacy of the fee before urging the Speaker of Parliament to summon the Transport Minister. 

“What authority does the Ghana Airport Company have to impose fees and charges and are these charges consistent with the Fees and Charges Act approved by the Parliament of Ghana? Mr Speaker, I think the Transport Minister must be hauled to Parliament to explain the authority with which they are charging the fees and whether it is consistent with our Fees and Charges Act,” Haruna Iddrisu.

Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who presided over proceedings, agreed with the former Minority Leader. He directed that the Transport Minister appear before the house on March 19 to address the issue.

“With regards to this issue, I am directing the Transport Minister to appear before this House on March 19 to come and address this issue because the airport company cannot sit by themselves and say they are charging fees on their own and so the Transport Minister must appear to answer to these issues,” Second Deputy Speaker.