2024 Budget: Waiving taxes on electric vehicle imports 'useless' – Minority Leader

Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has kicked against some of the tax reliefs announced in the government's 2024 Budget and Economic Policy.

He argued that some of the tax reliefs spelt out in the budget will not cushion Ghanaians while describing the entire budget statement as empty following the presentation on the floor of parliament on November 15, 2023.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based JoyNews, Dr Ato Forson particularly described the government’s quest to waive import duties on electric vehicles as ‘useless’ while contending that not many Ghanaians can afford to use EVs in addition to a lack of enough electric charging spots in the country.

“Let me make this point, I don’t know how many vehicles in Ghana are electric. Where are the charging ports? How many Ghanaians will benefit from it? Useless” the Minority Leader stated.

“It is to encourage the use of semi-knocked-down electric cars. We live in an economy that we are even struggling to get power. How many cars in Ghana today are electric for them to say that we are giving tax exemption for electric cars? I don’t know if you own an electric car, I don’t own one. And go out and find out from people. As an MP, I don’t know of any individual or public transport that owns electric vehicles,” the lawmaker reiterated.

He however stressed that while the EV policy is hinged on future energy transition efforts, it may not serve useful purposes in the short term with many Ghanaians unlikely to benefit from the move.

“So, it is looking at the future probably but is not giving something presently to the ordinary Ghanaian. What the government must do first of all is to create an enabling environment for electric vehicles. This [Tax waiver] is not. The one to create the enabling environment will be access to charging ports," Dr Ato Forson said.

"...So, if I bring an electric vehicle here to start using it when I travel to Ajumako and for some reason I need to charge my vehicle, where are the charging ports? Which fuel station can I park in and charge my electric vehicle?” the MP questioned.

MA/NOQ

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