Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber for Tourism, Prince Ntiamoah-Boampong, has commended President Akufo-Addo’s decision to reduce the cost of PCR COVID-19 testing for all nationals of ECOWAS to $50.
The reduction from $150 to $50 according to Mr. Ntiamoah-Boampong will bode well for the industry and help revive its operations.
He further explained that in spite of the reduction, a lot more can be done to make the tourism industry more appealing for tourists.
“For a while now, Tourism Industry Ghana has been complaining about the PCR test at the airport which is $150. We’ve done a lot of advocacy on this for a very long time. For us, we felt that it was on the high side for travellers especially tourists visiting the country. So if the Heads of ECOWAS have met and have seen the wisdom in reducing it and capping it at 50 dollars for ECOWAS nationals, I think it’s a step in the right direction. But we think more can be done. We’ve been saying this for a long time.
“Our COVID-19 case numbers are going up because the protocols were relaxed and as at the last update by the president, he wants to make it rigid again. But we think that the PCR test at the airport should be reduced because people without COVID-19 will still be travelling and [we’ll] make ourselves more attractive; especially for people travelling to the African continent. People will still go on holidays, people are still doing their activities, trying to be careful in COVID-19 times. But, if you’re charging 50 dollars for testing for people to enter your country, you can as well reduce it and help travellers, tourists and make your country attractive”.
Following the 58th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held on Saturday, January 23, 2021, via video conferencing, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo revealed that testing for COVID-19 for all nationals of ECOWAS have been capped at $50.
In a national broadcast on Sunday, January 31, 2021, however, the President said the cost for other nationals outside the sub-region will remain at $150.
“At the 58th Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, held virtually, it was agreed that the cost of the COVID-19 test for inbound ECOWAS nationals should be pegged at fifty United States dollars ($50) at the Kotoka International Airport. The cost of the COVID test for non-ECOWAS nationals at the Kotoka International Airport still remains one hundred and fifty ($150) dollars”.
Prior to his announcement, Ghana charged all persons arriving in the country from outside $150 for COVID-19 test.
Following the ECOWAS meeting where the new price was agreed, a communiqué was issued which said, “The Authority approves the harmonized ECOWAS Protocol for cross-border movement of persons and goods during the pandemic and caps the cost of COVID-19 PCR test for travel within the region by ECOWAS nationals at a maximum of US$50″.
Residents in some member countries have had the cause to complain about the high cost of the test when travelling to neighboring countries especially at the ports of entry.
