Mahama joins campaign against ban on importation of salvaged cars

Presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has joined many calling for the law that bans importation of salvaged cars to be expunged.

According to the NDC flagbearer, a sudden decision by the government to suspend the implementation of the law on November 1, 2020, is a political gimmick.

Car dealers in the country, fronting as the Automobile Dealers Union of Ghana, have said the implementation of the law would bring about job losses.

Echoing the sentiments of Mr Mahama, the car dealers say the swift U-turn on the implementation of the law to ban the importation of salvaged vehicles and vehicles more than 10 years into the country is only to enable Nana Akufo-Addo to win votes.

The Minority Members of Parliament have also asked Ghanaians to ignore suspension of the law.

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said the suspension is propaganda because the government has no power to suspend the law.

Speaking during an interview on Woezor TV on September 20, 2020, Mr Mahama urged the car dealers to mount pressure on the government until the law is scrapped.

“I’m telling the car dealers and the other people who will be affected that it is not a matter of suspension. Parliament is returning in October. The government should go back to Parliament and amend the Customs Amendment Act and take that clause out. That is what the government must do. It is not enough to suspend it.

“It means that in future they can implement the law again and so what they should insist on is that the law should be amended and that clause should be taken out to show that it is not going to be implemented in the future. The suspension is a gimmick. It was supposed to start on 1st November so they’ve suspended it so that they (Automobile dealers) can vote for them and then implement it after the elections,” Mahama said.

The Customs Amendment Act 2020 provides incentives for automobile manufacturers and assemblers registered under the Ghana Automotive Manufacturers Programme and prohibits the importation of salvaged motor vehicles and cars over 10 years of age into Ghana.

The implementation of the law was suspended last week.