A former Managing Director of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL), Albert Adu Boahen, has said 30 VDL buses and three 40-foot containers of spare parts out of four supplied by the Dutch manufacturer VDL and arrive in Ghana in April 2024, were cleared from the port before he handed over office to his successor in March 2025.
The buses and spare parts were handed over to the MMTL through a state-to-state arrangement between the government of Ghana and the Belgian government; therefore, taxes were excluded from the arrangement.
According to Mr Adu Boahen, there were, however, delays in clearing the buses and the spare parts from the port due to issues with tax in the initial stages and later, the shipping line costs at the time the buses and spare parts arrived in Ghana in April 2024.
He said MMTL was initially not getting a full tax exemption from the government, hence the delay in clearing the buses and sparts from the port.
He said by the time they succeeded in negotiating for tax exemption with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, the issue of shipping line costs also cropped up.
By the time the MMTL was able to get the Ministry of Finance to issue a waiver for the imports, the shipping line costs had also become an issue, with estimated charges of over GH¢300,000.
This, he said were the reason for the delay in clearing the containers by the MMTL, and that they were able to clear three containers, leaving one behind, and all this information was made available in his handing over notes.
Mr Adu Boahen was reacting to an announcement by the current MD of MMTL, Kale Cezar that a container loaded with spare parts supplied by Dutch manufacturer VDL has remained at the port for more than two years.
This, according to Mr Cezar, had compounded the operational and financial challenges confronting the state-owned transport company.
Mr Cezar said this in an interview with the Daily Graphic and disclosed that the container was imported under the company’s previous management, but was never cleared from the port, leading to mounting charges and missed opportunities to deploy much-needed buses onto the roads.
Read also: Metro Mass spare parts stuck at port for 2 years
Former MD’s reaction
Reacting in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM on Tuesday [January 27, 2025], monitored by Graphic Online, the former Managing Director of MMTL, Mr Albert Adu Boahen said the container arrived in April 2024 and described the shipping line charges as the main issue holding up its release.
“I was challenging the shipping line charges because they were too high,” Mr Adu Boahen said. “I petitioned the ministry to engage the shipping line to reduce the amount.”
He said the container formed part of several consignments that arrived with the VDL buses and were cleared after extended engagement with the Ghana Revenue Authority during his tenure.
Mr Adu Boahen said three of the containers carrying spare parts were cleared, while one remained at the port at the time he left office.
“I was left office in March. In my handing over notes, I personally told him that the parts were at the port and that he should clear them,” he said and added, “after one year, if they have not been cleared, I do not think anybody should blame Adu Boahen.”
He disputed claims that the container had been at the port for more than two years and said the spare parts arrived in April 2024 alongside the VDL buses.
“The containers came together with the VDL buses around April 20, 2024,” he said. “We were given an exemption by the government, but it was not a full exemption.”
Mr Adu Boahen said the delay affected the company’s ability to maintain and deploy buses, adding that the spare parts were intended for the VDL fleet.
“They are spare parts for the VDL buses,” he said. “I am not too sure these parts are for the brand new buses.”
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh