Ghanaian Borga Cries Over High Import Duty At Tema Port: "Our Leaders Are Not Helping Us"

• A middle-aged borga who has lived in the US for many years has vented his frustration with the high import duties charged at the Tema port
• In a video shared on TikTok by @nhyiraba_blessed, the US borgar said the high import charges have become a major disincentive to doing business in Ghana
• The man, therefore lashed out at the political leadership of the country for making life a living hell for the citizenry

A Ghanaian, man who recently returned home after many years overseas, has lashed out at the political leadership in Ghana over failures to create an enabling environment for businesses and individuals to thrive.

Speaking to SVTV Africa, the unidentified man opined that the import duties charged at the Tema port were crippling businesses and making life difficult for the ordinary Ghanaian.

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He said the current economic hardship in the system is largely attributed to the high import duties, which have resulted in the prices of goods and services being expensive.

He stated that when businesses and individuals import goods from overseas, they are charged duties that are even more than the value of the items they shipped into the country.

He explained that he was recently made to pay over GH¢60,000 as import duty for a Toyota Corolla he purchased for $2,600, equivalent to GH¢40,055.47.

This, the middle-aged borga, described as unconscionable and unfair because the import duty was exorbitantly outrageous.

"Sorry to say this, but our leaders are not helping us. I bought some speakers from China to the US, I paid over $43,000 (GH¢662,455.85)/ Could you believe that the shipping fee from China to US was $3,000(GH¢46,217.85), that's it, they delivered the speaker to my house, but when I imported the same speaker to Ghana I paid almost $7,000 (GH¢107,841.65) to clear the speakers," he said.

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The US borga said due to the high import charges at the Tema port, most Ghanaian businessmen and women are now diverting their cargos to neighbouring Togo to clear.

Ghanaians share similar frustration

In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh on the TikTok page of @nhyiraba_blessed, some Ghanaians shared similar frustration in the comment section.

@sister.dzifa said:

"hmmm my husband left 2 cars because of the duty."

@levels de Angel also said:

"I want to go open my company in togo bcs the machine I wan to bring to Ghana, the duty it self can buy another machine., I wan to go buy land in togo, to establish my business there."

@BIG BEE commented:

"they see borgas as a source of money. mmoa leaders."

Man fumes over GH₵202,613 import duty at Tema Port

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that another Ghanaian man who resides in the US has fumed over the high import duty charged at the Tema port.

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The man, identified as Kin Jafalo, revealed that his friend in the US was asked to pay $15,000 as duty charges for a BMW X5 car he wanted to ship to Ghana.

Kin Jafalo described the charges as insane, saying the same car could be cleared for less in Togo.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh