Hot Audio: Nana Addo won't implement compulsory towing levy – Sammy Awuku

The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Awuku has expressed reservations about the towing levy to be imposed on all vehicle owners.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo is not ready to implement the levy in September because he together with the NPP is not in support of the levy.
“Nana Akufo Addo will not implement the levy and I can confidently say that he and the NPP don’t support this matter and has not said anywhere that he will implement it from September 1, 2017. Anyone who says we are in support is a liar,” he said.
The Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament recently gave its backing for the implementation of the towing levy to be imposed on all 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.
Critics say payment of the levy should not be made mandatory and should not be contracted to only one private company – Road Safety Management Limited (RSML).
Under the mandatory towing regime, drivers whose cars break down on the road will be required to pay between 20 to 200 cedis to RSML.
But speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show “Dwaso Nsem” Friday, Sammy Awuku indicated that the government of John Mahama drafted the law but did not implement it and wondered why a section of the public are in support now.
“All processes were started and concluded before Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP government came to power in December 2016 but they didn’t implement it so why should Nana Addo implement it when he is not even aware,?” he quizzed.
He continued that: “it is important that measures are put in place to curb road accidents and not burden poor Ghanaians with this levy issue. In fact, we won’t allow the towing levy to take us to opposition because even some NPP MPs are not happy about it”.
This notwithstanding, Mr Awuku indicated that the NPP is working closely with the government to make sure a consensus is reached.
However, the Ghana Tanker Drivers Association has vowed not to pay the levy, announcing that members of the Association will embark on a demonstration when implementation starts.
The spokesperson for the Ghana Committed Drivers Association, Charles Danso, argued that the Association is currently collecting signatures to push for the repeal of the law.
On his part, the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the reason that informed the passage of the towing levy by Parliament was flawed and mischievous.
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