John Mahama Expresses Shock Over 22 Levies and Fees Charged for Clearing Goods at Port

John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed his surprise at the numerous levies and fees imposed on goods cleared at the ports.

Speaking to members of the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA), Mahama drew attention to the financial challenges importers face, using the example of a 2023 Lexus vehicle to illustrate his point.

Mahama detailed the various charges importers encounter, such as import duty, Value Added Tax (VAT), processing fees, and more. He highlighted additional costs like network charges, COVID charges, fees from the Ghana Shippers Authority, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI).

In his words, “A person imported a car and I am just looking at the charges, this is a 2023 Lexus, these are the charges… Oh! I am shocked.”

Continuing, Mahama listed a range of fees including Import NHIL, GHS disinfection fee, Special Import Levy, Ghana Education Trust Fund, African Union Import Levy, COVID Health Recovery Levy, Certification, and IRS, emphasizing the significant financial burden placed on importers.