Scrap levies on ‘Kayayes’ – Local Government Minister directs Assemblies

The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has sent a memo directing all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take immediate steps to scrap all levies placed on head porters, popularly known as Kayayes.

The directive, Kasapafmonline.com understands was communicated to the MMDAs following the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 2017.

Hajia Alima Mahama who is also the MP for Nalerigu/Gambaga made this disclosure on the floor of Parliament, Wednesday, when rebutting to calls by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu for the Local Government Ministry to bring the Bill to Parliament that has levies placed on Kayayes.

The Minority Leader had told Parliament in his contribution to the debate on the 2017 budget that the Government misinformed Ghanaians with the promise of removing levies on Kayayes when it knows very well that there is no Act or law to that effect.

But Hajia Alima in her contribution told the House that the levies placed on Kayayes were done by the MMDAs which all fall under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and so the directive to remove them was “proper and in order.”

“Mr. Speaker, we all know that the MMDAs levied some rates on Kayayes. Some were levied Gp 50 while others were levied GH?1.00. But a lot of us feel that those levies are unnecessary.

The Minister of Finance is referring to the budget statement such that these MMDAs are part of the country and do take directions from the government through the Ministry of Local Government and Local Development. So, I have already sent that directive to the MMDAs following the budget statement and economic policy of the Government.

The directive is for them to take note and prepare and organize District Assembly meetings to review their levies and take away that which has been put on Kayayes. We consider those levies as wicked and unnecessary,” she noted.