“Kayayei” are exempted from paying AMA market tolls

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has said that head porters “Kayayei” are exempted from paying market toll of the Assembly.

It said the gazetted 2018 Fee Fixing Resolution does not include head porters as toll chargeable group, and that the directive from the Central Government not to charge head porters was still in force.

Mr Sam Ayeh Datey, the Metro Coordinating Director of the AMA, made this known in a statement signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency.

The statement said the attention of the AMA has been drawn to a picture of a market toll ticket (MT0010624) dated 06/04/18 which was in circulation on social media.

“The caption associated with the post is misleading and deemed to be a calculated attempt to court public disaffection towards the AMA,” the statement said.

It said head porters, commonly referred to as “Kayayei” engage in carrying goods for a fee, especially in commercial areas, mostly in and around market centres and major bus terminals are not to pay market tolls.

“They are employed by travellers, shop owners, shoppers, or traders and are used to offset the difficulty of vehicles accessing the centre of the markets to load or discharge goods. On the other hand, a hawker is someone who travels around to merchandise or sells easily transportable goods,” the statement said.

It said the gazetted 2018 Fee Fixing Regulation captured hawkers as a chargeable group, which mandate them to pay a daily toll of GHc1.00 but not “Kayayei” as the story sought to portray.

“The AMA wishes to express its utmost dissatisfaction with the said impression being created and urged all to desist from churning out such misrepresentation and to cross-check with the Assembly before putting out such material since the City Authority is operating an open door policy,” the statement said.

It assured all stakeholders that it was working in accordance with the Government directives to ensure a smart, sustainable and resilient city to improve the quality of life of people living within the city by providing leadership and opportunities for social and economic development.

This would help maintain a clean, attractive and a secured environment for the benefit of residents, businesses and all visitors, the statement said.