The Abossey-Okai spare parts dealers association has lashed out at government for failing to stop port officials from charging fees in dollars at the container terminals.
This comes after the outgoing minister of trade and industry Haruna Iddrissu assured importers that effective July 2, government will stop dollar indexing at the ports.
The move was to satisfy demands by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) after their members in Accra and Kumasi closed down their shops on the 23rd of June this year because of government’s failure to drive out foreigners in retail trade among others.
According to GUTA the charges in dollars is a clear violation of the Bank of Ghana’s Forex rules.
Speaking to Citi Business News, Chairman of the spare parts dealers, Siaw Ampadu said “Since we met him (Haruna Iddrissu) at GUTA head office and he made that statement, up till now nothing has happened, I can say it is political talk. Nothing good is coming out of it”.
According to him when they met with the parliamentary select committee on trade and other agencies, they were told nothing could be done about the charges.
Mr Ampadu stated that “they told us point blank that they cannot do anything about it and that is the problem that we are having”.
“If these politicians want us to believe them they should set the records right (straight). Don’t come and meet us and say something you cannot do “, he fumed.
By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana