Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement that import duties on agro-processing machinery will be waived, describing it as a direct response to long-standing advocacy efforts.
“Someone is clearly listening to the advocacy we’ve done—especially alongside Channel One News. We’ve raised these issues many times. Listening to the president this morning, I felt many of our concerns were being addressed,” Tagoe said in an interview with Citi Business News during the National Agribusiness Dialogue in Accra.
The president’s announcement, made on Monday, July 28, 2025, is part of broader government efforts to enhance value addition and increase investment in local agricultural processing. But while welcoming the policy shift, Tagoe stressed that implementation would be the true test of government’s commitment.
“Why impose high import duties on agricultural machinery when we aim to grow our agro-based economy? We’re happy with this move, but now we expect implementation. Institutions must begin work immediately,” he said.
He also highlighted the bureaucratic hurdles that have previously undermined similar policy interventions, warning that unless the administrative processes are simplified, the policy could lose its intended impact.
“When you try to benefit from these waivers, you often have to go through several institutions just to get a letter to show at the port. If the process isn’t streamlined, you may end up paying more at the port than you should. That needs to change,” Tagoe cautioned.
