A group of disgruntled vehicle spare parts dealers have warned the Akufo Addo administration to scrap the 35 per cent import duties slapped on spare parts or face mass vote against the ruling party in the December general elections.
The group calling itself Concerned Spare Parts Dealers Association has given the government till the end of September to scrap the import duties.
“We are giving the government up to the end of September to scrap the tax or we will advise ourselves,” the group warned.
Spare parts dealers were an integral constituents that voted massively for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2016 presidential elections after they were promised mouth-watering incentives by the then-Candidate Akufo Addo.
However, since getting into office, the dealers have expressed disgust at the U-turn of the ruling party on its promises. The administration slapped more duties on spare parts importation, and had recently banned the importation of used vehicles to Ghana.
Ghana banned the importation of cars older than 10 years in a move to encourage international companies including Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co. to set up local assembly plants in Ghana.
However, spare parts dealers and used car dealers have not been amused by the move which threatens to obliterate their businesses.
Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota Motor Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Renault SA are among automakers currently assembling new vehicles in Ghana for sale, despite the fact that 70% of automobiles in Ghana were bought as used vehicles from abroad.