The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, Sampson Asaki Awingobit, has criticized the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for not fully understanding the flat rate policy and his vision of aligning Ghana’s port operations with those of Togo.
During the launch of the NPP’s manifesto on Sunday, August 18, 2024, Dr Bawumia made several promises, including a commitment to reform the country’s tax system by implementing a flat rate system to bring stability and predictability to the prices of imported goods.
However, speaking on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, Mr Awingobit argued that, Dr. Bawumia does not understand the policy he has proposed.
He believes that, the government’s strong focus on tax collection would hinder its implementation.
Mr. Awingobit noted that, the exchange rate of the cedi cannot be compared to Togo’s CFA currency.
“He doesn’t understand the policy. How can a government that is always focused on collecting duties and forcing importers to pay be able to implement this? Currently, companies with large stocks of rice, sugar, and other goods are stuck in customs bond warehouses,” Mr Awingobit remarked.
The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, further explained that whenever the dollar rate increases, customs also adjust duties accordingly, whereas the CFA exchange rate remains stable.
“How can such a comparison be possible? He knows where the real issues lie,” he added.
Mr Awingobit also revealed that the NPP did not engage importers in drafting the manifesto.
“I received no communication about the manifesto’s drafting process. The only invitation I got was to attend the manifesto launch. I know there was a committee that included other groups, but we were not consulted. However, I understand the issues, and what importers need is better control over the cedi,” he stated.
Source: Ayisha Akua Ibrahim
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