Drivers suspend strike

The Coalition of Private Road Transport Operators has suspended it's intended strike following a meeting with the Roads and Transport Ministry.

The Unions, on Tuesday, November 09, gave the Government an ultimatum to reduce taxes on fuel, threatening to ground all commercial vehicles by 1500 hours Thursday, November 11, 2021.

Mr Godfred Abulbire Adogma, the General Secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said “after the timely intervention by the Minister we thought a suspension of the strike was necessary.”

He stressed that the Union had not called off the strike but had suspended it until it had heard from government by Monday, November 15.

The General Secretary reiterated calls on government to scrap the taxes, levies and margins on the price build-up and the incessant increase in the price of fuel, which, he said, was collapsing their business.

Mr Adogma said they were working on a petition to Parliament and the President, through the Minister, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, ahead of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy by the Minister of Finance on Wednesday, November 15.

“The removal of some of the taxes and levies is key to our concerns, including the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy, Energy Debt Recovery Levy, Fuel Marking Margin, and Special Petroleum Tax. They are the sole cause of the price build up and must be scrapped to let fuel prices come down,” he said.

The coalition of private transport operators consists of GPRTU, Association of Tipper Truck Drivers, Harbour Transport Owners, Ghana National Cargo Transport Association, and Ghana Committed Drivers Association.

The rest are Concerned Drivers Association, Digital Drivers, Commercial motorbike riders, popularly referred to as 'Okada', and the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers.

GNA