The reduction of import duties is real; Ghanaians feeling it – NPP

News from Sunday, April 7th, 2019

Source: Starrfmonline.com

2019-04-07

The ruling party, the new Patriotic Party (NPP), described the Akufo-Addo government's policy as decisive in reducing the reference values ​​of imported goods and motor vehicles by 50% and 30% respectively.

At a press conference held on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at the party headquarters in Accra, the Secretary General of the NPP, Mr. John Boadu, congratulated Akufo-Addo and his government, especially the Economic Management Team (EMT) led by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for listening to the cries of Ghanaians and reducing import duties.

Mr. Boadu believes that this reduction will help alleviate the burden and hardship of Ghanaians and reduce the prices of goods on the market for the average Ghanaian.

"To facilitate trade, make our ports competitive in the region and further reduce the costs of goods and services, even with single-digit inflation, the government has put in place a host of innovative measures in ports," he said. Boadu.

In explaining the effects of these reductions, Mr. Boadu pointed out that "this has the effect that the customs value of a container of canned tomatoes, for example, which could have been 100,000.00 GH, resulting for example 10% of the total costs, and the rights of 10,000.00 GH immediately became 50 000.00 GH, resulting in a decrease of the total costs, charges and fees of 5.000,00 GH. This in turn translates into affordable prices for canned tomatoes on the market for Ghanaians of all income groups and jobs for more people along the line, etc. ".

Mr Boadu tried to hit the minority NDC, which repeatedly tried to give the impression that the cuts would not affect the net duties paid by the importers. In his rebuttal, Mr. Boadu presented several exhibits, including a testimony from the son of the former Deputy Attorney General and NDC MP, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to advance his case. .

On Thursday April 4, 2018, just after the announcement of the policy, Mr. Ayine's son, Ross Berizaya Ayine, commented in a Facebook message: "I am very impressed and satisfied with the nuclear power plant and M project. Bawumia for the reduction of import duties. . This is a big step forward and it is by far the best governance policy and in the right direction. May God bless all those who have contributed to this success and the brains behind this magnificent movement. I cleared a Honda Civic Touring at 31,000 GHc last week and another less than 18,000 GHc today. If all successive governments could put this type of policy in place, Ghana would be a better place to live. Politics does not concern colors but reality ".

This account of Mr. Ayine has been corroborated by the President of the Union of Traders of Ghana (GUTU) and its members, as well as by several people who have cleared cars and goods in the ports since Thursday. The reduction therefore seems to be a popular policy that could lead to a significant reduction in the prices of goods and motor vehicles on the market.