Ahead of the 2024 General Elections, political parties are putting on their A-game to sway voters to their side at a critical time when there is an economic downturn in Ghana.

John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed the intention of the next NDC government to lift the ban on the importation of used vehicles.

He emphasized that this decision is aimed at fostering increased employment opportunities for young people within the automobile industry.

While addressing artisans and traders at the Techiman Magazine, Mr. Mahama called on the government to explore the possibility of acquiring a substantial portion of newly assembled vehicles from local automobile assembly companies.

“There are vehicle assembly plants owned by foreigners with the goal of assembling vehicle parts and selling brand-new cars to Ghanaians. The affordability of these new cars is a challenge for many Ghanaians; the government should play a role in addressing this issue by purchasing a significant portion of these locally assembled cars.
“Given the substantial demand for vehicles in the government sector, such a move could contribute to the profitability of these companies. Recognizing the financial constraints faced by ordinary Ghanaians in affording new cars, the NDC plans to eliminate the proposed ban on the importation of used vehicles.”
John Mahama

In 2020, the government had announced its plans to restrict the importation of used vehicles aged over 10 years and to implement a comprehensive ban on salvaged cars, commonly referred to as ‘accident cars.’ This restriction has been pending the full passage of the Customs Amendment Bill.

Government To Regulate Importation Of Specific Strategic Product

Meanwhile, the government is poised to present a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) to Parliament, aiming to regulate the importation of specific strategic products into the country. The list of items, exceeding 20 in number, encompasses commodities such as rice, tripe (commonly known as “yemuadie” in Ghana), and diapers. This initiative, according to the government, is a strategic step towards bolstering local production efforts.

Speaking during a press briefing in Parliament, the Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T Hammond said that the stomach of animals, bladder and the chunk of intestines (yemuadie), the country had had to put in an amount of about $164 million towards the importation of these items.

According to him, the government is taking steps to ensure that in terms of rice, as well as other essential commodities, there’s no impacting lack in the country.

“By these restrictions, we are not going to ensure that there’s no food in the country at all; that is not the point at all. There have to be some efforts by the government to ensure that we go back to Acheampong’s operation feed yourself. There are about 22 items on the list, one of them, I think, is diapers.”
K.T. Hammond

He announced the introduction of the Ghana Standards Authority Regulations 2023, which also seeks to streamline the manufacturing of cement to ensure competitive pricing.

In addition, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia contends that former President John Dramani Mahama lacks a comprehensive understanding of the 24-hour economy policy he is advocating. The Vice President asserted that the said policy is already in practice within the country, with entities such as hospitals and fuel companies operating on a 24-hour basis.

“Today because of digitalization, you can transfer money 24 hours, you can receive money 24 hours…he doesn’t understand his own policy so I want you to vote for me in 2024 because I will bring a new vision, I will bring a new policy. Mahama is the past, Dr. Bawumia is the future. If John Mahama was there, we would say we have a “dumsor” economy, you can’t have a 24-hour economy in “dumsor”. So, you want to vote for Dr. Bawumia in 2024, we will take the country to new heights.”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

Consequently, Dr. Bawumia urged the public to dismiss Mahama’s proposals during the 2024 elections, asserting that Mahama offers nothing novel and encouraged voters to support the New Patriotic Party instead.