Starting Monday, February 8, 2021, nationals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) arriving at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), will be making payments to the tune of $50 for a Covid-19 PCR test instead of the previous payment of $150.
The reduction in the PCR test follows the directive of President Nana Akufo-Addo. The directive however, applies to only nationals of the ECOWAS region, other nationals will still have to make the $150 payment for a PCR test at KIA.
The president’s directive is in consonance with the decision taken by the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission to cap the price of the test at $50 during the 58th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held on January 23, 2021 via a video conference.
With a test fee of $150 at KIA, Ghana had one of the highest Covid-19 test fees in the world.
Several arriving flight passengers at KIA including high profile persons like the Secretary General of the African Development Bank, Professor Vincent Nmehielle, lamented over the high cost of testing and called on government to have the test fee reduced.