BREAKING: Akufo-Addo Orders Withdrawal of $7 Airport Fumigation Levy

President Akufo-Addo has ordered the Ghana Airport Company Board led by Paul Adom Otchere and the Ghana Health Service(GHS) to immediately withdraw a proposed $7 Fumigation levy at the airport.

Our sources say the President upon returning from France late two nights ago summoned Paul Adom Otchere, Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company and ordered a reversal of the policy.

The President and his sector Minister were said to be unaware of the levy on passengers imposed by the Ghana Health Service per passenger on each international airline ticket sold and remit the same to the government agency as a luggage fumigation charge.

Already, the Minority in Parliament is sounding the alarm bells over the $7 charge imposed by the government on airline tickets as illegal.

The Minority describes the charge as illegal as it is only Parliament that can impose fees and charges.

The Minority Chief Whip and Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee Governs Kwame Agbodza urged airlines to disregard the directive from the 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 the 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.

If implemented, the imposition of the US$7 fumigation charge will lead to further increases in airfares, which already remain elevated due to high aviation fuel costs, a weak local currency, and a general economic squeeze since last year.