Discussions underway for possible reduction of $150 COVID-19 test fee – Okoe Boye

A former Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye says the government is looking at the possibility of reviewing downwards the cost of mandatory testing of COVID-19 at the Kotoka International Airport.

Currently, all air passengers arriving in Ghana are expected to go through mandatory COVID-19 testing of $150, an amount many people say is extremely high compared to many other countries across the world.

There have been many calls for a reduction in the price.

They therefore advocated for a discriminatory fee to favour Ghanaians and other West African nationals.

Dr. Okoe Boye told Citi News that constant engagements are ongoing to have the $150 COVID-19 dollar test fee reviewed downwards.

“I discussed with a key player at the airport, and they said they are looking at all the factors. Previously, they were testing kids, between 5-12 years. They were to pay $150. As we speak, that has been cancelled. They will be tested, but they don’t pay. It is this same concerns from the public that influenced this. Constant discussions always have the potential to give you what you want,” he said.

The Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited in 2020 after the announcement of the new measures for reopening of the airport disclosed that the $150 price for the COVID-19 test at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) was arrived at after stringent negotiations with service providers.

“The original price quotation from the service provider started from $158, and he gave information to support that the test will cost $158 and on top of that, we could add anything that we wanted to add,” he said.