In a heartfelt plea to President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghanaian Afrobeats musician Wendy Shay has raised concerns about the exorbitant import duties imposed on cars, urging the President to take action to alleviate the burden faced by Ghanaians.
Born Wendy Asiamah Addo, the singer shared the frustrations many individuals encounter when importing cars into the country.
“Your excellency @NAkufoAddo Mr president, I know you have the welfare of Ghanaians at heart but can you please do something about import duties, especially on cars?” a portion of the tweet read.
Highlighting the astronomical import duties on cars in a tweet, the ‘Uber Driver’ hitmaker drew government’s attention to the stark contrast in prices between purchasing a vehicle in the United States and the additional costs incurred due to duty charges upon importation.
Your excellency @NAkufoAddo Mr president, I know you have the welfare of Ghanaians at heart but can you please do something about import duties especially on cars? The import duties on cars are way Outrageous . You buy a car in the US for $35,000 (397,707.10 Cedis) and pay…
— Enigma EP (@wendyshaygh) July 3, 2023
She went on to illustrate the situation with an example, where a car valued at $35,000 in the US would attract a hefty duty payment of $30,000 USD, totalling approximately 340,891.80 Cedis.
She further explained, “The import duties on cars are way Outrageous. You buy a car in the US for $35,000 (397,707.10 Cedis) and pay $30,000 USD (340,891.80 Cedis) as a duty. Please do something, Mr President”
Wendy Shay’s plea to President Nana Akufo-Addo stems from a belief that reducing the import duties on cars would greatly alleviate the financial strain on Ghanaians seeking to own vehicles.
Fans of Wendy Shay also commended her for being vocal on the issue of imports.
A fan wrote, “Thank you for speaking up. Ghanaians are truly suffering” while another lamented, “I agree with you. Sadly, he doesn’t read tweets unless you use another medium”
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The import duties imposed on cars have been a longstanding concern for many Ghanaians, often regarded as an obstacle to the accessibility and affordability of vehicles.
Wendy Shay’s call to action echoes the sentiments of countless individuals who have felt the weight of these exorbitant duties, hindering their ability to own cars and restricting their mobility options.
Another fan also reprimanded the likes of Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy who have failed to use their voice and platforms to speak on the issue.
“This is the kind of things @sarkodie and @shattawalegh @stonebwoy and many more should be taking about. But another problem is that @NAkufoAddo is not a listening person he got the power to recover all his lost hmmmm,” he tweeted.
Ghanaians are hopeful that the President will respond to Wendy Shay’s plea and will do something about the situation which would help more individuals have access to affordable and reliable transportation.