<<Print>>

Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, Private legal practitioner and aide to former President John Mahama, has urged the President, Nana Akufo-Addo not to give his assent to the bill on banning accident cars in the country.

He says signing the bill is going to disrupt the country’s economy and put a lot of people out of business.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia program, he expressed his disgust about the passing of the law by parliamentarians.

"A lot of Ghanaians earn their livelihood through these accident cars because artisans and skilled craft personnel work on accident cars....So a single signature issued by the President will put millions of Ghanaians out of business. The President should be considerate by not appendding his signature to the bill...

"...This is not about politics, it is about the number of Ghanaians who will be left unemployed by the President’s single act," he added.

Parliament of Ghana, on Thursday, passed the Customs (Amendment) Bill 2020, which seeks to ban the importation of accident cars into the country.

The law will prohibit the importation of specific vehicles of over ten years of age. The country is also expected to lose over GHC802 million for the first three years in tax waivers.

The law will provide incentives for automotive manufacturers and assemblers registered under the Ghana Automotive Manufacturering Development Programme.

The move comes despite the Minority’s opposition to the bill.

Speaking during the approval of the joint report of Trade and Finance committee, Deputy Ranking Member for the Trades Committee and Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini, argued the bill, when passed, will deny many people of their livelihood.

His argument was supported by Ranking Member for Committee of Transport, Kwame Agbodza and Ho Central MP, Benjamin Kpodo.

According to them, the ban has the potential of affecting businesses of dealers.