The Member of Parliament for the Kpando constituency in the Volta Region, Della Sowah, has urged her colleagues in parliament to stand against government’s efforts to lay a ban on the importation of salvage cars into the country, through the amendment of the Customs Bill.
The lawmaker in an engagement with some taxi drivers and unions on Saturday, in her constituency, briefed the gathering on plans by the government to stop the use of salvage cars in the country.
According to her, the government has an advanced plan with a car manufacturing company; VW Cars company, to manufacture and sell cars in the country.
She said the VW Cars company requested and was granted a tax-free operation, a move she says would be a disadvantage for a large portion of her constituents, especially the local drivers who may not be able to afford new cars.
She added further that, the amendment of the Customs Bill, would equally affect the businesses of spare parts dealers, mechanics and other business individuals; thus, the need to shot it down.
In reaction, the drivers lament that the move by the government is ridiculous and could hamper their businesses if Parliament goes ahead to pass the bill at its sitting on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
Government is seeking to promote the manufacture and assembling of vehicles in the country, and in order to do that, a number of incentives have been provided to prospective automobile companies that would be set up.
In addition, the government intends to amend the Customs Law, by banning the importation of salvage vehicles as well as make it impossible for people to import clean second- hand vehicles that are older than 10 years.
The Bill further provides additional new conditions that have to be met before a vehicle can be imported. Clean second- hand vehicles without ‘certificate of compromise’ and new vehicles must provide legitimate test report to facilitate homologation by the Ghana Standards Authority before vehicles are imported or sold.
Source; ghanaweb