Butchers at the Kumasi Abattoir have been protesting an announced increment in slaughter fees by slaughtering animals in the open.
The butchers have threatened to boycott the facility which sees the slaughter of 200 to 300 cattle on a daily basis if the new GHc30 fee is not scrapped.
As a result of the increase, butchers are now required to pay GHc30 per slaughter instead of the initial GHc25 and GHc50 for non-butchers, who were paying GHc45 before the increment.
Some reports from Kumasi said the Management of the Kumasi Abattoir had locked up the main slaughter house to compel the butchers to pay the new slaughter fees, but the butchers remained unperturbed and opted to slaughter in the open, raising meat safety concerns.
Management of the abattoir have said this increase in fees has become necessary following the increase in utility tariffs and the need for a facelift for the abattoir.
Speaking to Citi News, the manager of the Kumasi Abattoir Company Limited, Bugbil Zobil said, “Every abattoir is supposed to be a company that should be working for profits but when you come to our abattoir, it’s not the same. We are not even breaking even.”
He noted that the abattoir had to pay water and electricity bills as well pay the salaries of staff working at the abattoir and the current fee of GHc25 for the butchers will not suffice.
“When you put all these thigs together, the 25 current cedis that we are currently receiving does not suffice what we use the money for and there for we are not even breaking even how much more to make a profit.”
But some of the butchers, speaking to Citi News later on revealed they were supposed negotiate the new fees with the management but the management increased the fees without notifying them.
The Butchers say they will find a different place to slaughter their cattle if the decision to increase the slaughter fees is not reversed.
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana