The National Courier Association Ghana (NACAGHA), an association that seeks to represent its members on the regulatory issues that may affect their operation in Ghana, is cautioning against the massive unemployment that will hit the growing courier service industry if issues such as exorbitant registration fees along with alleged harassment from the police are not addressed.
The remarks were made at the launch of the 100-member National Courier Association Ghana here in Accra.
Over 50 courier operators back in April this year were arrested in parts of the capital by a joint task force team led by officials of the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSC) and the Greater Accra Regional Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) for operating illegally.
Two months down the line the Commission undertook another exercise where about sixty motorbikes were impounded for offering courier services but without a license.
The recurring cases of arrest have been described by the newly founded National Courier Association Ghana as recipe for disaster as it will force young entrepreneurs in the Courier service space to quit their jobs rendering hundreds unemployed.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the sidelines of the launch of NACAGHA, the President of the association Kwame Bekoe called for a revision of the registration and renewal fee to prevent some companies from folding up.
“We are asking that the commission reduce the exorbitant fees being charged. There are over a thousand courier operators in Ghana and the companies that are being arrested want their fees reduced so that more of them can be registered with the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission,” he said.
Though the arrested courier operators in April and June were found to be involved in various services from the delivery of letters, clothing, or other items, the majority of them were involved in the food delivery business.
Per law, the unlicensed operators are subject to a spot fine of GH¢600 or three-month imprisonment or both.
In reaction to the concerns raised, the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission stated that even though it was open to dialoguing with the association to help move the industry forward, they will not renege on their responsibility to sanitize the industry.
Lawuratu Musah-Saaka, acting Deputy General Secretary of the Commission stated: “We are bent on clamping down on illegal operators. Usually, there is a 60-day cycle of registration. We did the last clampdown in June, and we might decide to give some grace period.
But expect more because what we are doing is within the remit of the law. Because you can’t be in a space where people are registered and paying what is due to the government and others decide not to do same. We’ll come after you.