The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says the government must come clean on the status of Frontiers Healthcare Services and their mandatory COVID-19 testing service at the Kotoka International Airport following the announcement of the suspension of the tests for fully vaccinated persons.
According to him, the President in announcing the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in his Sunday night address failed to indicate that with the suspension of the testing programme for fully vaccinated persons, its arrangements with the service provider, Frontiers Health Services had come to an end.
He said the development indicates to the minority that the government intends to keep the company at the airport to conduct other forms of testing, which they [the minority] do not support.
“In the president’s address to the nation, he did not inform us clearly what happens to Frontiers Healthcare Services Ltd. at the airport. It appears to us that that whole extortionist machinery is still in place where they will be charging $50 and $150 where persons are unvaccinated. We want clarity,” he said on Eyewitness News.
President Akufo-Addo on Sunday announced the easing of some COVID-19 restrictions.
Amongst the decisions, he said “From Monday, 28th March, fully vaccinated travellers into Ghana will not take PCR tests from the country of embarkation to allow them entry into the country through the KIA, and will not be tested on arrival. Citizens and foreign residents in Ghana, who are not fully vaccinated, would, however, need to provide a negative PCR test result of not more than 48-hours. They will undergo an antigen test upon arrival at KIA, and will be offered vaccination there.”
The testing regime at the airport where ECOWAS citizens are mandated to take a test for $50 and $150 for non-ECOWAS citizens has been a subject of great controversy with the minority in parliament leading a crusade for the abrogation of the contract with the service provider.
Describing the testing regime as “extortionist”, they planned to picket at the airport on Wednesday March 30, 2022.
Mr. Ablakwa said the minority wants the company to completely stop their work at the airport.
“We are clear in our mind that it is unacceptable [for them to continue] and the president should have expressly stated that they must close shop and leave. We do not see any space for them as we speak.”
He said the minority has tabled a number of questions in parliament for the transport minister to answer them on the subject.
Meanwhile, the minority has suspended its plan to picket at the airport over the situation.
