Ato Forson has doubts up to 50% on import duties

Company News of Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-04-03

Casiel Ato Forson, minority spokesperson in charge of finance, has expressed doubts about the reduction in import duties announced by the government of up to 50%.

"I will challenge anyone to go to port and clear your goods," he told a group of reporters at the end of a public session during which Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, announced the cuts.

Ato Forson, former deputy finance minister, said on Thursday that the new policy would be "populist"

He predicted "Abossey Okai will breed".

By that, he was referring to a party of spare parts dealers mainly in Abossey Okai after the government announced in March 2017 the removal of the rights to spare parts.

But dealers have whispered that the announced abolition had no impact on the cost of clearing their goods.

A disappointed store owner will tell Joy News about nine months later: "Can you believe that when we went to clean our goods, things were the same … they were even higher.

Another said that he had a habit of paying 2,500 ¢ but that he now pays 5,000. Spare parts distributors complained of a gross contract and have threatened not to spare the Akufo-Addo government in 2020, when the country went to the polls.

The government has admitted that a new measure of badessment and calculation of duties introduced by the Ghana tax administration is responsible for the situation.

Looking back at the saga of spare parts and the love of retailers, the minority spokesman said he expected a resumption of the latest announced cuts.

Ato Forson has volunteered for the cuts to take effect in the next 24 hours. He will visit the ports and question the importers.

"So tomorrow, go clean your car. I'm expecting a 30% discount. If you can not get a 30% discount, he has lied again.