The MP for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga has filed a writ at the Supreme Court questioning the legality of charges imposed on importers by the Food Drugs Board.
The FDB is demanding between 7 and 10 thousand US dollars from importers of certain food product to cover the travel expenses of its officials who will travel outside Ghana to inspect factories where the products are manufactured.
But Mr. Ayariga says the unilateral imposition of charges contravene the constitution.
He is therefore asking the Supreme Court to restrain the chief executive of the FDB Emmanuel Aygarko from collecting any fees from importers
?So I am asking the court to interpret articles 93 clause 2, 174 and 175 of the constitution and to declare that the directive of the chief executive of the FDB asking manufacturers and suppliers of imported food products in Ghana to pay fees in the sum of $ 10,000 per brand or $7,000 a brand where the importer imports more brands is illegal,? he says.
According to Mr. Ayariga the directive is unconstitutional and he wants the chief executive to be restrained from implementing the directive. Mr. Ayariga says he had to resort to legal action because all attempts to get the FDB Boss to stop collecting the monies failed.
? I had earlier issued a statement to the extent that the directive was unconstitutional and advised him to withdraw the directive but the chief executive has chosen to go on radio stations. I think that I am left with no alternative but to go to the Supreme court and seek the court?s injunction to restrain him from executing that directive,? he says.
Mr. Ayariga is also asking the highest court of the land to order the FDB Boss to refund monies already paid to it the board by the affected importers
