Stop the profiteering at the airport – Ablakwa to government
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is backing his caucus in parliament to criticize the government for the continuous mandatory Covid-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport.
He lamented that the government has started taking advantage of it as a profit-making venture whiles there is global relaxation on covid protocols.
The Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs committee demanded the government to halt the policy.
“We propose that we should not behave as if we live on an island. Every other country is easing restrictions including those that recorded far higher fatalities. If you look at the case of Ghana, we don’t seem to care these days about other protocols. When last did you see the enforcement of face masks or other protocols? Virtually, normalcy has returned. But when we go to the airport, we are pretending that nothing has changed and we are still on high alert just because of profiteering.”
Mr Ablakwa together with two other colleague MPs – Kwame Agbodza and Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, revealed their intention to consistently picket at the airport until the government scraps the mandatory testing contract with the service providers; Frontiers Healthcare Services Ltd.
The opposition lawmakers are set to picket at the Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, to protest the continued mandatory COVID-19 testing for arriving passengers.
“What is happening at the airport is inconsistent with what is happening in the entire ecosystem after they have extorted from you. There is no enforcement anywhere, but when it comes to travelling, they are insisting on this Kabal and we are saying enough is enough”, Samuel Ablakwa added.
Former President John Mahama also called out the government on the test saying “It is a most unfortunate situation that Ghanaians who have valid vaccination certificates cannot board flights back home without a £90 PCR test, and an additional US$50 PCR test booking in Accra,” Mahama lamented in his post.
The government sought the services of Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Limited to conduct the rapid Covid-19 tests at KIA following the reopening of the airport to international passenger flights in September 2020.
The 30-minute PCR Covid-19 test initially attracted a $150 fee but was subsequently reviewed.
While the amount was maintained for non-ECOWAS citizens, those from any of the West African countries were to pay $50 for such services at Kotoka International Airport.
