The Brong Ahafo Regional Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC has threatened to resign from the party if the government goes ahead to implement the compulsory towing levy.
The Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament gave approval for the implementation of the controversial mandatory towing levy to be imposed on vehicle owners.
The law which was to take effect July 1, 2017, was suspended to enable the Transport Ministry to hold stakeholders engagements, following the massive public disapproval it received.
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) introduced the service in order to rid the country’s roads of broken down vehicles that are abandoned and which cause accidents.
As part of the law, vehicle owners and motorcyclists will pay compulsory annual fees, tied to the acquisition of road worthy certificate, to cater for towing services.
Fees per year for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles, depending on tonnage, range from GHC 20 to GHC 200.
The NRSC awarded the contract to the Road Safety Management Limited (RSML), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group owned by Businessman Joseph Siaw Agyapong.
Reacting to this, the vociferous NPP communicator said he and other party faithfuls are against the implementation of the towing levy threatening that he would resign from the party if President Akufo-Addo fails to heed the cries of the people of Ghana.
The NPP member who was very active in the campaign of the party said ‘he would resign from the party because Mr Siaw Agyapong, the owner of RSMSL is seeking to exercise undue advantage over the government’ which would lead the party back into opposition.
Below is a statement he published on his Facebook wall:
“I will resign from NPP if this robbery towing service tax is implemented. The NDC under John Mahama passed this robbery towing service Tax but couldn’t implement it due to the fact that Ghanaians and drivers in particular will vote against them. NPP now want to customise this this robbery law on Ghanaians. Some of us will not not sit down for Mr Joseph Siaw Adjapong Chief executive of Zoomlion who is behind the force implementation of this robbery towing service tax to collapse NPP like he did in NDC. Joseph Siaw Adjapong undue influenced on the select committee of Roads and Transport will not be countenanced by some of us.”
