Minority to picket at KIA over $50 COVID-19 test fee

Minority in Parliament is set to picket at the Kotoka International Airport from Wednesday, March 30, 2022 over the $50 COVID-19 test fees.

The Minority has described the exercise as illegal, unconscionable and an act of extortion.

Speaking to host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that the Minority has resolved to converge on the precincts of the airport from 2pm to 6pm each day.

He revealed that the picketing will continue until such a time that the Akufo-Addo government curtails the illegal, unconscionable and extortionist COVID-19 antigen testing conducted by the iffy Frontiers Health Care Services Ltd.

“The circumstances leading to the awarding of the antigen test contract to iffy Frontiers Health Care Services Ltd was not transparent. Most importantly, they violated the public health laws. They have no license," Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.

Meanwhile, former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama also took to Facebook to express his dissatisfaction over the $50 COVID-19 antigen test.

“It is an inconvenience, a financial burden and actually unfair to compel our citizens, who we encouraged to take COVID-19 vaccinations, with some taking the boosters, to pay as much as £90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights coming back home,” he said.

“And even more ridiculous, they must book another $50 PCR test to be conducted on arrival in Accra”, the former president stated in a Facebook post on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

“The UK government considers the Ghanaian COVID-19 vaccination card internationally accepted and allows entry once you have the card without any testing.”

“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. The government must stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test for travellers who have been vaccinated” and “must also stop the demand for originating PCR tests before the same category of travellers are allowed to board flights to Ghana”, Mahama wrote on Facebook.