'Kaya tax' scrap makes government look kind – Adu-Amankwah

Scrapping market tolls paid by itinerant head porters (kayayei) in the country gives the government a good image as it makes it appear empathetic to the most vulnerable in our society, gender advocate Susan Adu-Amankwah has said.

According to her, no matter how little the toll is, scrapping it will still make a difference in the lives of the porters who earn little from what they do.

Her comment follows government’s resolve to scrap, among other taxes, market tolls paid by kayayei so as to bring relief to the ordinary Ghanaian.

“I think for the kayayei it will make a difference in what they earn. I have no idea what the average kayayo earns, but because they don’t earn that much, for them it will make a big difference and it will stop them from being harassed. The way sometimes you see the local authority people harassing them for payment, at least, that kind of nuisance will stop,” she told Moro Awudu on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM on Friday 3 March.

“For anybody, I guess if money is being taken away from you and they say you can now keep that money, it doesn’t matter how small it is, it is always welcome. It also helps in giving the government a kind image sort of. So it may not necessarily be in terms of the value but there is a value in it for the government to look compassionate to the most vulnerable in our society.”

Ms Adu-Amankwah, who is also the second Vice Chairperson of the Convention People's Party, however, noted that Kayayei would need more government interventions to better their lives than just scrapping the toll imposed on them.

“Those young ladies need more than just that one cedi taken away from them. You could do that and still not change their circumstances in life. What they need is to have better education, better opportunities for jobs, and move out of that circle of life,” she stated.