Anti-corruption group, CitizenGhana Movement are calling for the immediate repeal of a new levy imposed on all motorists in the country for a road towing service.<\/p>\n
The group, in a four (4) point statement copied to citifmonline.com described the service as a \u201cbad idea\u201d that has trappings of a corrupt \u201ccreate, loot and share\u201d scheme.<\/p>\n
Among the concerns raised by the group is the fact that the current system requires motorists to pay before the towing service is rendered and there has not been a clear path on how motorists can be guaranteed of the service after paying the levy.<\/p>\n
Read the statement below:<\/strong><\/p>\n The NPP government is struggling with the implementation of a controversial Road Tow Levy which has generated a lot of public discontent. This levy has attracted widespread resistance and we the CitizenGhana Movement are incredulous as to why the government will saddle itself with this needless controversy and scheme which has the potential to damage its credibility locally and Ghana\u2019s corruption perception rankings internationally. The Road Tow Levy has all the trappings of a corrupt \u201ccreate, loot and share\u201d scheme.<\/p>\n It is a matter of record that a pilot scheme was tried in Ghana recently dividing the nation into four (4) zones and having different towing companies remove abandoned vehicles. This pilot scheme was successful to the extent that the vehicles were safely towed whenever they posed a problem.<\/p>\n In a report written on the pilot scheme, the success was noted, but the towing service companies remarked that vehicle owners argued with them and resisted paying the service fee. On this reason alone, the towing companies proposed the self-serving prepayment scheme which is being pushed today and which we are stoutly opposed to, as are all Ghanaians.<\/p>\n Our reasons for opposing this scheme are that the idea to charge every vehicle owner at source for towing services which they may never use, with the simple excuse that vehicle owners resist paying for towing penalties, is bad and wrong on a number of levels.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n CitizenGhana Movement has a firm conviction that an enforcement of the existing road traffic legislation is a better alternative to the Road Tow Levy. On this point it is instructive to note Section 21 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) and Regulation 102 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180).<\/p>\n The role of parliament in this whole saga has been of some concern. First, we find it disturbing how Parliament came to conclude that enforcing existing law is not the way to go, but to make new laws and implement an untried scheme in Ghana, when there was no evidence that the existing system had failed, was a better option.<\/p>\n Regardless of the refusal of two governments to implement the scheme for the obvious reason that it was problematic, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport, on its own, decided to make recommendations to the larger body. And after considering the public outcry, they recommended that the scheme be implemented with the excuse that Parliament cannot cancel the scheme because doing so will lead to judgment debts.<\/p>\n It is instructive to note that it is not Parliament which has to cancel the contract. In fact Parliament is not at all connected with that aspect of this issue. Their work is simply to make, amend or repeal laws.<\/p>\n It must also be noted that when a contract is based on a law and that law is amended or repealed leading to the inability to perform the contract, there is no issue of judgment debt. It is a classic case of frustration of contract.<\/p>\n No one can sue Parliament for passing, amending or repealing a law, and no one can successfully sue a contract party for the effect arising from amending or repealing a law. Parliament, therefore, needed to do its part and allow things take their course. Instead, it decided to make commentary on areas they were not charged with unfortunately fueling the notion that all this was for the benefit of one party. In the end it must be said that corruption perception of a nation and its leaders arises when such things happen.<\/p>\n In conclusion, CitizenGhana Movement\u2019s position is simply that the existing laws of the land are sufficient for removing the menace of abandoned vehicles. The existing law before this obnoxious Road Tow Levy requires the Police and Local authorities to remove abandoned vehicles to a designated place and surcharge the owners for the cost plus a penalty. And should they fail to pay, the vehicles can be auctioned.<\/p>\n We therefore make a clarion call on the President to use the advantage of his party majority in Parliament to repeal the Road Tow Levy and to direct the enforcement of the existing laws.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Anti-corruption group, CitizenGhana Movement are calling for the immediate repeal of a new levy imposed on all motorists in the country for a road towing service. The group, in a four (4) point statement copied to citifmonline.com described the service as a \u201cbad idea\u201d that has trappings of a corrupt \u201ccreate, loot and share\u201d scheme. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10,11],"tags":[9841,3,533],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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