Our members are suffering: Second-hand dealers plead with govt to cancel the ban on second-hand appliances

A group called the Concern Second Hand Dealers Association has berated the government over its decision to ban the importation of used appliances (second-hand appliances), including air conditioners and microwave ovens, into the country.

According to the group, the initial reasons for the ban given by the Energy Commission of Ghana, including the claim that second-hand appliances consume more electricity, have been disproved by the commission itself.

The group questioned why the government is not regulating the importation of these items into the country as it does for new appliances, of which the commission says about 90 are of low stand and consume more electricity.

“The Energy Commission has admitted that the new items brought to this country are substandard which they want to regulate these items through Ghana Standard Authority and they have admitted also that about eighty (80) to ninety (90) percent of second-hand items meet standard in a meeting with GUTA but their major concern was how to regulate these items.

“So why is the commission not regulating the second-hand item but rather sees the need to ban second-hand items from entering this country? We want the whole public to understand that items brought to this country for sale go through proper monetary and checks before exporting them to the country which are all from European countries,” parts of a statement issued by the group read.

The group added that the ban on second-hand appliances is worsening the plight of its members, who depend on them for their livelihood.

It urged the government to rescind its decision to ban second-hand appliances since it is affecting a lot of Ghanaians.

“The government should therefore come to our aid by considering the huge number of people who are engaged in this business and their direct beneficiaries and not forgetting the numerous numbers of people who patronize these items. Now that there is economic hardship all over the world, why will one say that he is taking our job which feeds millions of people in this country from our hands?” the group said.



IB/BOG