The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Sam George, has directed the immediate suspension of licensing regulations concerning courier riders in the country.
The directive follows strict enforcement measures that the Ghana Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission began on August 20 in Accra. The operation targeted unlicensed courier riders, leading to several arrests and the seizure of motorbikes.
In a post shared on his official X handle, the Minister noted that although the regulator’s actions were within its legal mandate, there must first be broad stakeholder engagement before the law takes full effect.
“I have directed that, with immediate effect, the Ghana Postal and Courier Services put a halt to its recent operations to bring sanity into the industry, which in recent days has triggered some backlash from industry players. The action by the regulator is in accordance with the law, but it would be in good faith for stakeholders to engage on the ins and outs of the regulations for consensus building before enforcement is fully rolled out,” he said.
The Minister emphasised that while the law must be enforced, it should be done “with a human face” and in a way that accommodates the concerns of all parties. He announced plans to convene a meeting in the coming weeks to facilitate dialogue.
“I will take an active part in convening a meeting with all key players in the industry in the coming weeks to finalise a clear roadmap that takes into account the concerns of all parties before the process to sanitise the industry resumes,” he added.
Prior to the ministerial intervention, the regulator had conducted a coordinated operation with the Ghana Police Service, during which several motorbikes were seized for non-compliance with licensing requirements.
In protest, affected riders, together with their union executives, stormed the offices of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), headed by Malik Basintale, to register their displeasure.
Their main concern was the high cost of acquiring the required licence, which they argued was unfair given their low levels of income. They contrasted this with ride-hailing operators, who only need valid driver’s licences to operate in the country.
The riders appealed to the YEA Chief Executive Officer, Malik Basintale, to intervene and engage both the regulator and the sector Ministry — a move that eventually led to the ministerial directive.
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Story by Sika Togoh|univers.ug.edu.gh
