Parliament has summoned Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport, to appear before the House on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in response to Ghana Airports Company Limited’s (GACL) $20 illegal charges at the Kotoka International Airport.
The MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, accused the Ghana Airports Company Limited of conspiring with the Transport Minister on the charges, stating that the minister should be called to explain the legal backing of the charges.
“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.”
The Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, also expressed worry about the claims and directed the Minister to appear before the House.
“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.”
Background
Management of GACL, in a letter dated March 11, cited by Accra-based Class FM, announced to the Chairperson of the Airport Operators Committee of the Kotoka International Airport that the new fee will be implemented for travelers departing from the airport.
The letter signed by the Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, stated the fee would apply to all round-trip tickets.
In addition to announcing the $20 round-trip airline ticket fee, the GACL also specified that $10 of the fee will be charged to each leg of the trip.
People also read:
“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)”.
“This fee will be effective May 1, 2024,” the letter indicated.