Do you want to collapse spare parts business? – Dealers query govt on plans to ban accident, overaged cars

Spare parts dealers at the Abossey Okai market have expressed worry over government's intention to pass a law that will see a ban placed on the importation of overaged cars (10-years and above) as well as salvaged cars, otherwise known as ‘accident cars’.

Speaking to GhanaWeb on Trending GH, some of the dealers who also import accident and overaged cars said their businesses risk collapse if the ban is implemented.

According to the spare parts dealers, their business heavily relies on the patronage of importers who bring into the country salvaged cars to be fixed and will, therefore, suffer when the ban is implemented.

“I don’t know what’s in the mind of the government to say that they want to ban accident cars, then definitely you want to collapse the spare parts business, especially with the home used business. Because somebody will bring an accident car and will come and buy the home used parts and fix it, so if you say you are banning accident cars then definitely you want to destroy the home used business. Unless the government has any other business he wants us to do, I don’t see the reason why he says he is banning accident cars,” a dealer told GhanaWeb.

Other importers who shared their concerns on Trending GH said, with the average Ghanaian not being financially sound to afford a brand new car, the ban if implemented will be detrimental to Ghanaians who can afford an imported second-hand car instead of a brand new one assembled locally or abroad.

“They can allow the manufactures to assemble the brand new ones here and allow those who can afford to buy. But considering the economic situation, they should allow the importation of the home used ones so that those who can afford that too will also buy.” Another spare parts dealer shared.

Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says, with the expected establishment of assembly plants by several car manufacturing companies in Ghana, it is intended that the ban among other things will make cars affordable and also make the country’s roads safer.

For the importers and dealers at the Abossey Okai spare parts market, they are hopeful their leadership will be engaged by the government before the Customs Amendment Bill, 2020 is passed into law. They believe this will help forestall any threats the passage of the law shall pose to their businesses.

Watch the video below: