Okada Riders Association is gearing up for a formal petition to the Ministry of Transport, scheduled for Monday, February 5, 2024, as they express concerns over the recently implemented emissions levy.
The Emissions Levy Act, 2023 (Act 1112), which recently took effect, imposes a levy on carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for internal combustion engine vehicles. The tiered levy system categorizes fees based on vehicle type and engine capacity.
Motorcycles and tricycles are required to pay an annual fee of GHS75, while motor vehicles, buses, and coaches with an engine capacity up to 3000 cubic centimetres face an annual levy of GHS150.
Larger vehicles, including those above 3000 cubic centimetres, cargo trucks, and articulated trucks, are subject to an annual levy of GHS300.
Secretary of the Okada Riders Association, Majid Amidu, highlighted the economic strain on riders due to the high levy amounts and announced their intention to submit a petition to the government.
In an interview with Citi News, Amidu expressed the riders’ dissatisfaction, stating, “It is too much. People are suffering. You did not give us jobs, you did not do anything for us and yet you want us to pay GHS75. We will hold another meeting and write a petition to the government and the whole of Ghana that enough is enough.”
Amidu issued a warning of potential demonstrations if the government does not consider their request for a reduction in the emissions levy.
“If they do not reduce the levy, we will go out and demonstrate against this government. By Monday, the petition will be ready, and we will send it to the Minister.”
The looming threat of protests underscores the growing discontent among the Okada Riders Association regarding the financial burden imposed by the emissions levy, adding a new dimension to the ongoing discussions surrounding the recently implemented tax.