The Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament has approved the controversial road tow levy to begin operating from September 1, 2017.
According to the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Samuel Ayeh-Paye, the decision was arrived at after extensive consultations with stakeholders in the road and transport industry.
This follows the passage of a Legislative Instrument (LI) on the road tow levy.
Chairman of the Road and Transport Committee of Parliament, Hon. Ayeh-Paye urged the Ministry to sensitise the populace on the levy before its implementation.
“Our recommendation is that it is a very good project, we have looked at other stakeholders and in fact they don’t have the capacity to undertake this project . . . We have asked the operator as part of our recommendation to absorb other small towing trucks in the contract so that other private and small towing truck services will not be affected or have their businesses collapsed,” Chairman of the Road and Transport Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Ayensuano, Samuel Ayepaye stated in a interview.
He noted that the contract involves general road safety management which includes clearing trees that block roads and several other road safety measures.
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) introduced the service in order to rid the country’s roads of broken down vehicles that are abandoned and which cause accidents.
Government had proposed a fee of between GHc20 and GHc200, depending on tonnage, on the registration of vehicles or renewal of road worthiness certificates at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to fund the policy.
The law which was to take effect July 1, 2017, was suspended to enable the Transport Ministry to hold stakeholders engagements, following the massive public disapproval it received.
The Road Safety Management Company Limited and its allied service providers will enjoy 85% of the charges while the DVLA and Police Service share 5% each.
Ministry of Finance, as well as NRSC, will also be allocated 2.5% each from the proceeds.
He, however, said the Committee reached a compromise with the operator, to cede 5% of its share of 85% of the earnings to the Ambulance Service and National Health Insurance Authority.
The operator has therefore agreed to pay 2.5% of the accrued amount to the National Ambulance Service while another 2.5 percent will be paid to the National Health Insurance Authority to be used for the treatment of accident victims.
The recommendations of the committee have been sent to the Transport Minister and implementation is likely to take effect by ending of September 2017.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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yes npp is losing 2020 slowly but surely!!The day i pay this levy,that day i decide not to vote npp in 2020!!Mahama pls warm up for your 2nd term!!this is black n white tv n d signal too is not stable!!
OH NPP, WHY HAVE YOU ALLOW THIS TRAP TO CATCH YOU. IT IS NDC'S TRAP. I AM SAD FOR MY PARTY.
THISD IS A VERY BAD LAW. IT HAS THE POPENTIAL OF CAUSING DISAFFECTION AMONG MOTORING PUBLICS. WATCH IT!!!
THE MISTAKES OF NDC HAVE STARTED IN THE NPP. WITHIN 7 MONTHS THEY ARE INTRODUCING POLICIES THAT WILL CRIPPLE THE MASSES AND ENRICH THEIR CRONIES. WE LIVE TO SEE. MORE GREASE TO YOUR ELBOWS BUT TIME WILL TELL. CONGRATS
this will become a chop chop. Cars will not be towed, yet every year, they will increase this levy which will go into private pockets of political cronies. You will see. The quality of service will deteriorate very quickly and they will charge more money. Meanwhile the big men in the towing company will chop all the money and grow fat. Mark it on the wall.
it means those who maintain their cars well are paying taxes that are used to pay for those whose unmaintained cars breakdown on the roads.
This is a bad idea. You are taxing all cars and giving the money to a private monopoly company. Why should those who maintain their cars well pay for those who do not maintain their cars well? Why?
We need street lights. Our streets are very dark at night and it takes the grace of God for us to use them. Street light levy being paid by use should be used for the purpose. Drivers should also comply with roads signs, especially the speed limits and police should enforce the law when drivers drive like mad, as if they are being chased by someone. Please, National Road Safety take your education to the streets. Sitting in studios should not be the end of the education exercise
Were we not told the same company will also offer ambulance services. My problem is why the monopoly of one company? We should not use the death of people on our roads to milk the living, DSo if they do not tow a vehicle and it causes an accident what will be their punishment?
This is not a bad idea, but worry is that we are all in this country and we all pay for street lights but let us ask ourselves whether there are streets lights even in Accra apart from from some few ones on the N1. Hope this is not going to be another way of milking the populace.