The General Secretary of Automobile Dealers Union, Clifford Ansu, has called on the government to be more lenient in its proposed directive aimed at banning salvaged cars and second-vehicles importation.

Speaking in an interview with Citi TV, Mr Ansu said: “trotros and trucks should be excluded because for those ones if they are less than 10 years, you cannot buy them in Europe or Korea and bring them here.”

“They are expensive,” he said.

He asserted that the government needs to clarify what constitutes a “salvaged vehicle” as well as be more flexible in its definitions of vehicles affected by the importation ban.

“If you don’t take time, at the end of the day, when you go to Tema Habour, the customs officer will tell you that what is on the paper is what I am going to deal with so we want clarification there.”

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According to a joint report from Parliament’s joint committee on Finance and Trade, Industry and Tourism, the ban will prohibit the importation of salvaged motor vehicles comprising wrecked, destroyed, or physically damaged by collision, fire, water or other occurrences as well as specified motor vehicles over 10 years of age into the country.

Mr. Ansu noted that the government should consider their contribution to the sector and the economy in making a decision.

 “We are pleading with the government to consider the input we have made so far.”

Ghana put in place the Automotive Development Policy to provide the necessary framework to establish assembly and manufacturing capacity in Ghana.

A proposed Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to provide incentives to car manufacturers and assemblers in Ghana has been put before parliament.

Toyota, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Nissan and Sinotruk are among the major automobile companies with an interest in Ghana, with some set to begin operations in 2020.

The Akufo-Addo administration wants the Ghana Automotive Manufacturing Development Programme to boost employment and offer an import substitution and export promotion to improve the balance of payment.

Amid the fears over job losses and a potential revenue drop by GHS802 over the next three years, the government said it has plans to make second-hand car dealers distributors of the cars assembled in Ghana by international automobile firms.