A vicious haggle has reportedly developed among the collaborators behind the scheme that set up the expensive COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The confusion among the schemers of the airport COVID test stems out of signals that the Akufo-Addo government is buckling under public pressure to reduce the contentious US$150 price tag for the mandatory Covid-19 test for each arriving foreign traveller at Kotoka.
WhatsUp News has heard that the source of the confusion is an attempt by members of the government to let the rebate be deducted from the percentage of Frontiers Health Care, the private company which was hired under shady circumstances to run the tests.
Frontiers, which is connected to the fugitive Nigerian billionaire Benedict Peters, is said to be vehemently refusing to accept for the price reduction to eat into its percentage of the profit from the test that has been widely classified as a rip-off.
Consequently, the Akufo-Addo government, represented by people from the Health Ministry are now at loggerheads with their private partner, Whatsup News has gathered.
Following series of reports by WhatsUp News about irregularities in the hiring of Frontiers for the Covid-19 testing regime at the Airport, many Ghanaians expressed anger about the outrageous price of US$150 that travellers must automatically pay to receive mandatory Covid-19 tests at the Airport upon arrival in Ghana.
Because of the disquiet and public anger, the Akufo-Addo government was driven by election panic to announce a decision to cut down the outrageous cost for testing.
Whatsup News is learning that following the announcement by Deputy Minister, Bernard Okoe Boye, a meeting was held with Frontiers to make them know that the price tag will affect their share of profit. But Frontiers will not have it and has kicked against the move, stating it would barely break even if it were to accept a new profit-sharing formula.
However, the Ministry of Health is said to be insistent on making the new price reduction, a cut out of the profit that will accrue to Frontiers.
It is estimated that the partners will make over US$30million from the set up by December.