The Suame Magazine Spare Parts Dealers Association has expressed deep frustration over the continued high import duties at Ghana’s ports, despite recent gains by the Ghanaian Cedi against major foreign currencies.

At a press conference in Kumasi, the Association’s Chairman, Godfred Adu Kofi, criticised the government, led by President John Dramani Mahama, for failing to adjust port duties in line with the Cedi’s performance.

“We are here today to express our deep displeasure at the government’s failure to reduce duties at the ports,” Adu Kofi stated. “Despite the appreciation of the cedi, duties remain excessively high, and in some cases, have even gone up.”

The Association highlighted a growing disconnect between the Cedi’s relative strength and the import charges imposed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). As an example, they cited the Toyota Voxy, whose clearance cost has reportedly increased from GH¢35,000 to GH¢60,000, primarily due to vehicle reclassification at the ports.

They argue that the current system is not only inconsistent but places an unfair financial burden on importers and, by extension, the general public.

Adu Kofi reminded the government of its earlier campaign promises—particularly the commitment to introduce a flat-rate duty system. He lamented that this policy, expected to ease the cost of doing business, was not captured in the most recent national budget.

“During the last election, the former president assured us of flat-rate duties. We expected to see something in the last budget, but nothing happened,” he said.

With the mid-year budget review on the horizon, the Association is renewing calls for urgent policy intervention. They are urging the government to honour its promise and implement a flat-rate duty system to ease the burden on importers.

The spare parts dealers also expressed concern about being unfairly blamed for high vehicle and spare part prices, particularly by commercial drivers and the general public. They explained that, despite the stronger cedi, high port duties leave them with no choice but to maintain elevated prices.

“We are wrongly accused of overpricing, when in fact, the problem lies with import duties. If the duties were lowered to reflect the stronger cedi, we could reduce prices for everyone,” Adu Kofi explained.

The Association concluded by stressing the importance of revising import duties to make spare parts more affordable, ensure fair pricing, and support the broader economy.