GAWU Applauds Mahama’s Import Duty Waiver on Agro-Processing Machinery
Union urges swift implementation and streamlined processes to maximize benefits for agro-based businesses.
- GAWU has praised President John Dramani Mahama’s recent decision to waive import duties on agro-processing machinery
- Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, expressed optimism about the move but emphasized the need for effective implementation.
- Tagoe criticized the practice of imposing high import duties on machinery
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) has praised President John Dramani Mahama’s recent decision to waive import duties on agro-processing machinery, describing it as a significant step toward boosting Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The announcement, made by the President on Monday, July 28, forms part of a broader policy to promote local processing and value addition in agriculture.
Speaking at the National Agribusiness Dialogue in Accra, GAWU’s General Secretary, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, expressed optimism about the move but emphasized the need for effective implementation.
Tagoe criticized the practice of imposing high import duties on machinery essential for an agro-based economy and urged institutions to act quickly.
“It makes no sense to tax the very tools needed to grow the economy. We welcome this decision, but implementation must start immediately,” he said.
He also highlighted the bureaucratic challenges that often hinder access to such exemptions, calling for a simplified process.
“Currently, you have to navigate multiple institutions just to obtain a waiver letter at the port. If the process isn’t streamlined, you risk paying more than necessary. That has to change,” he added.
