Ban on car importation: Govt has assured us of holding on implementation - Spare Part Dealers

The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association says government has assured it of placing a hold on the implementation of the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles into Ghana.

Co-chairman of the association, Clement Boateng, explained that the Ministry of Trade and Industry after talks with the group assured them it will hold on with the implementation of the law.

This follows the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, indicating his party’s plan to scrap the law and conduct a review of the Customs Amendment Act 2020.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb on Tuesday September 8, Clement Boateng explained, “I think it is in the right direction but we [The Association] want to tell them the National Democratic Congress [NDC] that government has assured us that it will put on hold the implementation of the law that was supposed to take effect November 1, 2020”.

He added dealers in the spare parts industry were never against the move by government to ban the importation of salvaged vehicles but only raised some concerns in regards to the definition of a salvaged vehicle.

Prior to John Mahama’s announcement at the launch of his party’s manifesto on Monday September 7, Parliament, in March this year, passed the Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2020 an amendment of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891).

The Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to amend the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) to provide incentives for automotive manufacturers and assemblers registered under the Ghana Automotive Manufacturing Development Programme (GAMDP).

The bill will further prohibit the importation of salvaged motor vehicles comprising wrecked, destroyed, or physically damaged by collision, fire, water or other occurrences as well as specified motor vehicles over 10 years of age into the country.