The Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry, and Tourism has visited some industrial zones to identify high-performing companies.
The purpose of the visit is to learn about their business practices, evaluate their difficulties, and determine how the Committee and the government can best assist these companies by locating and eliminating obstacles to their expansion.
Mr. Kassem M. Odaymat, the Chief Operating Officer of Rana Motors and a Founding Member of the Assemblers Association as well as the current president of the Ghana Automobile Distributors Association, welcomed the Committee and conveyed his gratitude for their acknowledgment of the organization.
Mr. Odaymat discussed the main issues affecting Ghana’s auto assembly sector, especially those pertaining to the application of policies. He emphasized that a number of problems still need to be fixed, particularly with regard to government agencies like the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
He added that in order to guarantee that all cars imported into Ghana adhere to national norms, the GSA has instituted vehicle homologation.
For imported used (secondhand) vehicles, the policy has not been fully enforced, resulting in an imbalance where new vehicles are subjected to additional inspections despite generally requiring less scrutiny, even though assemblers and new vehicle importers have complied by paying fees, obtaining certifications, and guaranteeing full homologation.
He claimed that inadequate inspections of used (secondhand) cars, which need to be carefully inspected, are causing needless delays and impeding the expansion of the sector.
The business understands that while switching from SKD (Semi Knocked Down) to ESKD (Enhanced Semi Knocked Down) is possible, going from CKD (Completely Knocked Down) calls for substantial development.
Hon. Alexander Roosevelt Hottordze, the committee’s chairman, praised the organization for its efforts but asked them to display more of their goods to attract a larger audience.
Assuring them that the Committee’s conclusions and suggestions will be discussed on the floor of Parliament, he also counseled them to follow the law and fulfill their tax duties.
He declared, “We are prepared to close the gaps that we are aware of.”
Source: newsthemegh.com