Street Parking Levy: We’re Open to Negotiation – AMA Boss

Accra Metropolitan Assembly [AMA], is open to some negotiations with companies within Adabraka that may want to offer some relief to their workers or patrons when the collection of on-street parking levy starts.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive of the AMA, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, noted on Eyewitness News that even the Ghana Revenue Authority [GRA] office in Adabraka, had written to the Assembly for some reprieve.

“Our offices are wide open and they are serving the people of Accra. We are serving the various institutions, so once you come with genuine concerns, we can always negotiate with you… I know that the Ghana Revenue Authority had written to us that they are appealing to us to waive it for them because they are a government institution so we are looking at it,” the AMA boss noted.

The AMA will begin the implementation of the levy today [Tuesday], and as things stand, Mr. Adjei Soway stressed that “if you have a company with multiple vehicles, you have to pay for all of them… If you have a company with about four or five vehicles, you have to pay for all.”

Resistance from Adabraka car owners

The move has bee met with some resistance with some vehicle owners at Adabraka expressing their displeasure with the levies.

According to them, they levy is unnecessary, considering that they already pay other tolls imposed by the AMA.

But Mr. Adjei Sowah insisted that “we are only saying that once you don’t have [a parking facility], we are providing you with the facility, pay for it and I don’t think that is a problem.”

Background

Last week, the AMA served notice to businesses within Adabraka of its intention to charge them for using specific streets that will be earmarked for parking of vehicles.

Car owners are expected to buy a sticker for GHc8 to allow them to park on designated spaces along the streets in the metropolis, and subsequently pay an amount of GHc4 every day per vehicle.

Other guests visiting companies who park in those allotted spaces and do not have the stickers will pay GHc2 for every two hours.

The letter to the companies, which was signed by the Metro Coordinating Director, Sam Ayeh-Dartey, said the Assembly had granted private firm, Messrs Colums Park Investment, the right to collect the monies for “on-street parking” within the Adabraka area in the Osu Klottey sub-metro beginning January 2018.

Source: Citifmonline