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Tag: Sampson Asaki Awingobit

  • Importers, Exporters Association bemoan excessive port taxes

    Importers, Exporters Association bemoan excessive port taxes

    The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has expressed dissatisfaction with government’s lack of action in addressing the high taxes imposed at the ports.

    This, according to the Association, is believed to have resulted in Ghana losing a significant portion of its cargo traffic to Lomé.

    The Association also believes that the government has not treated players within the ports industry fairly, even after making several promises in the run-up to the 2016 elections to deal with excessive taxes at the ports.

    In an interview with the media, the Executive Secretary of the Association, Sampson Asaki Awingobit, noted that they will collaborate with their sister associations to deepen their demands.

    “They kept on compounding us with taxes, tariffs, and charges, and that led to a total sharp deduction. We have lost huge cargoes to Ivory Coast and Lomé, and that is true.

    “We will collaborate with other organizations to ensure that the government does something about it.”

  • 30% of businesses in export and import industry have collapsed – Importers and Exporters Association

    Executive Secretary of Importers and Exporters Association Ghana, Sampson Asaki Awingobit, has said the country’s harsh economic conditions have resulted in the failure of businesses.

    He claimed that 30% of businesses in the export and import industry had collapsed.

    Mr Awingobit said on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM’s Frontline that importers and exporters can no longer bear the economic hardship.

    The depreciation of the cedi, increase in transportation fares, increases in fuel prices, and nuisance taxes, among other factors, are destroying businesses in Ghana.

    He indicated that the government has shown no interest in addressing the issues they have raised.

    He said that the government has shown no interest in addressing the concerns they have raised.

    He reiterated that they will join the Ghana Union of Traders in closing stores to express their concerns.

    “I would encourage Ghanaians to go to the market and buy everything they need before Wednesday, October 19, 2022,” he said.

    He stated that this action is being taken to protect the consumer. Because if we do not do so, it is the consumers who will suffer. We will include the cost of taxes and another cost in the final product they purchase. As a result, what we’re doing is in the best interests of the consumer.

    A statement issued by the Association stated that “We the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana believes the Nana Addo-led government has been given enough ample time to fix the country but has shown little seriousness in doing so. And we believe this action by GUTA and its stakeholders, will compel the government to do the needful”.

    Source: Ghanaweb via rainbowradioonline.com

  • Customs charging importers in dollars – Awingobit

    Sampson Asaki Awingobit, the executive secretary of the Ghana Importers and Exporters Association, claims that the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority charges in dollars at the ports.

    He claims that this violates the Bank of Ghana’s dollarization regulations regarding the costing of goods and services.

    The Customs Management Act (Act 891) does not contain any language allowing customs to charge in foreign currencies, particularly US dollars, he continued.

    The move, he said, heaps hardship on the already burdened business community which in turn affects the general public.

    In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb Business on Monday, October 3, 2022, the executive secretary of importers and exporters association said, “I think it’s time we Ghanaians call a spade a spade in the sense that we are here and Bank of Ghana issued a statement that let no one price their goods and services in dollars…I don’t know why customs which is a government agency is using dollar index in calculating duty for importers to pay.”

    “I have not seen anywhere is the customs law that gave them the right to do…For me, they are the one increasing the compounded problems on the business community which goes ahead to affect the ordinary Ghanaian in this country,” he told GhanaWeb’s Ernestina Serwaa Asante in the phone interview.

    The Bank of Ghana on Friday, September 16, 2022, entreated Ghanaians to report businesses that price their goods and services in foreign currencies, especially the US Dollar.

    According to the Head of Financial Stability at the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Joseph France, it is unacceptable for businesses to price their goods in dollars without the permission of the central bank.

    He said the act, which is criminal, breaches the Foreign Exchange Act.

  • Akufo-Addo, Bawumia must apologize to Ghanaians for current economic crisis – Awingobit

    Executive Secretary of Ghana Importers and Exporters Association, Sampson Asaki Awingobit, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for plunging the country into an economic mess.

    According to him, government’s Economic Management Team have lost touch with reality as Ghanaians are suffering due to high inflation, increase in goods and services, fuel price hikes and increase in transport fares.

    Speaking on Citi TV’s Big Issue and monitored by GhanaWeb on August 20, 2022, Mr Awingobit said, “Government and its so-called economic management committee have lost touch with the people. They have no knowledge, I do not know where they got their PhDs from…This government has failed us woefully, and it is high time the President [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] and his vice [Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia] accept and apologise to Ghanaians. They have performed abysmally. They cannot promise us flamboyant things and fail and go on with their lives as though nothing has happened.”

    “These are the same people who criticised the former President [John Mahama] throughout his tenure, going about, promising us heaven on earth all to get into power. I want the President of the Republic of Ghana and his vice to apologise to Ghanaians. They have said so much and delivered little,” he stated.

    His comment comes on the back of the high inflation rate and the frequent depreciation of the local currency.

    The Bank of Ghana on Wednesday, August 17 increased the monetary policy rate by 300 basis points to hit 22% from an earlier 19% rate.

    This was after an emergency meeting was held to address the hike in inflation rates which currently stands at 31.7%.

    Food inflation rose to 32.3 percent in July 2022 from 30.7 percent in June 2022. Similarly, non-food inflation increased to 31.3 percent from 29.1 percent in June 2022, contributing 55 percent to the rise in headline inflation in July 2022.”

    According to the central bank, these happenings including the weakening of the Ghana cedi have pushed the economy into heightening uncertainties leading to the increase in the policy rate.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb