The Traders Advocacy Group of Ghana is calling for the immediate removal of the Transport Minister, accusing him of incompetence in managing the country’s transport sector.
The group says traders and the general public are being burdened by what it describes as exorbitant charges at the ports, high airfares and rising bus transport fares.
Speaking on behalf of the group, its General Secretary, Emmanuel Opoku Acheampong, said the Transport Minister had failed to effectively manage the sector.
“We believe we have an incompetent minister who is manning the place. If this government has eyes, it’s not coming from politicians; it’s coming from traders. This fellow should be moved with immediate effect,” he said.
Mr Opoku Acheampong cited the cost of domestic air travel as evidence of what he described as the Minister’s failure.
“If you can have an air ticket from here to Kumasi at five thousand-plus Ghana cedis, it tells you that this man has woefully failed as a minister. We don’t need such people in the country,” he added.
The Traders Advocacy Group said it has, over the past two years, engaged relevant authorities over what it considers excessive charges at Ghana’s ports.
According to the group, however, its concerns have not received adequate attention, leaving businesses to bear what it describes as rising operational costs.
The traders are therefore demanding urgent government intervention to review port charges, arguing that the costs are having a significant impact on businesses and, ultimately, consumers.
“We are therefore calling on the President and government to intervene immediately and ensure excessive port charges are reviewed,” Mr Opoku Acheampong said.
The group said it would no longer accept what it considers unfair charges imposed on Ghanaian businesses.
It warned that if the situation persists, traders may have little choice but to increase the prices of goods to recover the additional costs.
The group is consequently urging the government to take immediate steps to address port charges and other transport-related costs to ease the burden on businesses and consumers.
