NDC Member of Parliament for Adaklu and Minority Ranking Member on the Committee on Roads and Transport of Parliament, Hon Governs Agbodza, has blamed the government for the 15% increment in fuel price by commercial transport operators in the country.
Governs Agbodza made the comment in an interview with Journalists at Parliament House.
He said the government could have used part of the IMF 1billion dollars and the Ghc 10 billion from the Bank of Ghana which it received from the two Institutions to indirectly cushion transport operators by reducing taxes on petroleum products.
Rather, Governs Agbodza said the government deliberately increased taxes on fuel products which contributed to the rise in fuel price which has affected the transport business.
He also said the rise in the price of spare parts coupled with the reduction in the number of passengers commercial drivers are now allowed to carry has compelled the transport operators to demand increment in lorry fares.
The government has approved a proposal from transport operators to increase transport fares by 15 percent.
The increment is expected to take effect from Saturday, July 11, 2020.
According to a Deputy Transport Minister, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, the decision was taken after a meeting with transport operators on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.
He said the transport operators made an alternative proposal which was for the government to allow them to revert to carrying their usual full seating capacity or for the fares should be adjusted upwards.
Titus Glover said after considering both proposals, the government decided to approve the increment in transport fares.
“The transport unions made an application to the Ministry that because of the COVID-19 and government has asked them not to load full capacity, they are losing a lot of money because of the running cost of their operations.
They came with two applications that the government should allow them to run full seating capacity or we should allow them to increase the transport fares.”
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