The Okada Riders Association of Ghana (ORAG) has asked the government to exempt it from the payment of the emissions levy.
The Emissions Levy Bill, if approved by Parliament, will impose an annual charge of GH¢100 on all owners of petrol and diesel cars, starting from January 2024.
The government’s objective with this tax is to encourage the use of environmentally friendly energy sources for vehicle power, aligning with its commitment to climate-positive actions and carbon offset initiatives.
The Association, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the implementation of the bill would overburden them.
As such, it cautioned the government not to include them in the payment to avert members from burdening clients with new fares.
“This bill, if passed, will have an indirect impact on particularly Okada riders who have no income cushioning from the government and are therefore overburdened with other existing nuisance taxes. Giving the country’s current economic position where commercial tricycles and okada spare parts and engine oil are on the rise, the Association demands from the government with immediate effect their exclusion from the emission levy bill, considering the many taxes under whose full weight they are already labouring.”
“The association cautions government and relevant authorities that they will have no other viable alternative other than to redirect the burden of this tax to those who patronize their services if government refuses to give us a listening ear or, at worse, we form a coalition and demonstrate against the government if it fails to listen to discerning advise,” it stated.
