The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has thrown its support behind the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the party's proposed policy to implement a fixed rate on imported spare parts if it wins the upcoming December 7 elections.

The announcement came after NDC's flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, unveiled this policy during the party’s manifesto launch at the University of Education, Winneba, on Saturday, August 24.

According to Mahama, the proposed fixed rate would bring much-needed transparency to the charges imposed on imported vehicle consignments, addressing a key concern of the spare parts dealers.

Speaking to Citi News, Takyi Addo, the head of communications for the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, expressed optimism about the policy’s potential to address some of the challenges importers face at the ports.

“Four months ago, former President [John Dramani] Mahama came to Abossey Okai to meet the spare parts dealers, and we mentioned fixed rates. That is going to solve at least some of our challenges at the port,” Addo explained.

He elaborated on the benefits of such a policy, emphasizing the stability it would bring to the sector. “It [fixed rate] is a constant value.

The 20-foot container, which we paid 5000 for, is fixed. It can be there for 10 years, 15 years—it is fixed. It doesn’t change. So I think fixed rates are going to solve some of our problems at the port," Addo said.

While the association welcomes the NDC’s proposal, Addo was cautious to note that they are still reviewing policies from both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) before reaching a final conclusion.

"We are going to digest and go through all the two major political parties’ manifestos, and we will come out with strong statements," he stated.

The association remains hopeful that this policy could alleviate some of the longstanding issues related to import duties, though they acknowledge that no single party can fully solve their problems immediately.

"None of them [political parties] can solve our problem at a go, but gradually, we will get there," Addo concluded.

This endorsement from the influential spare parts dealers is likely to spark further debate on the impact of import duties on Ghana's economy, as both the NDC and NPP outline their strategies in the lead-up to the December elections.