Okaikwei Central MP Condemns Proposed 1,000% Increase in Airport Passenger Service Charge

 

Okaikwei Central MP Patrick Yaw Boamah has sharply criticized the government’s proposal to increase the Airport Passenger Service Charge (APSC) for domestic travellers, calling the move excessive, unfair, and burdensome. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, he accused the Ministry of Transport of masking the magnitude of the increase in its report to the House.

“The Ministry is seeking to raise the airport passenger service charge from GHC5 to GHC100 per passenger. The government is hiding this in the report,” Boamah said. “This represents a 1,000 percent increase on both domestic and international flights.”

Boamah argued that the proposed adjustment would worsen the financial pressures already facing Ghanaians amid rising living costs. “Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious charge that the country must be made aware of. Airport tax—Is this the resetting? Now you can’t even drive on our roads, and flying has become too expensive. Is this what they promised this country?”

His remarks echoed the Minority’s firm opposition to the proposal. According to them, the recommended increases violate the Fees and Charges Act, which requires proper parliamentary approval for such adjustments. At present, domestic airport passengers pay GHC5, while international travellers are charged GHC100 for economy class and GHC150 for business class.

The proposal to increase the domestic service charge to GHC100 comes from the Roads and Transport Committee’s review of the 2026 budget for the sector. The Committee argued that current charges do not reflect the rising operational and maintenance costs of Ghana’s expanding airport infrastructure.

The report cited major capital investments—such as the Kotoka International Airport Terminal 3 project and expansion works in Kumasi and Tamale—as examples of developments that have significantly increased financial obligations in the aviation sector. According to the Committee, the previous APSC rate was inadequate to sustain ongoing improvements and upkeep.

Source: MyNewsGh.com