Opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has come under criticism from some participants following his engagement with traders, importers and other business operators as part of his ongoing policy dialogue series.
Dr Bawumia announced the meeting on his Facebook page on the morning of September 17, 2026, describing the engagement with the Trade Advocacy Group as a productive discussion on the challenges confronting businesses and the future of trade in Ghana.
According to him, the group raised concerns including high and arbitrary import duties, rising demurrage charges, expensive shop rentals, high taxes and limited access to credit.
He said the discussions focused on policies that could address the challenges, make it easier to do business, expand opportunities, create jobs and position Ghana as a trade hub in the sub-region.
“I met with the Trade Advocacy Group, an association for traders, importers and business people, for a productive discussion on their current challenges and the future of trade and business in Ghana as part of my policy dialogue series,” Dr Bawumia said.
He added that the group had outlined several difficulties affecting their operations and expressed appreciation to its members for participating in the engagement and sharing their proposals.
However, some individuals who attended the meeting have expressed disappointment over the outcome, claiming that the engagement did not result in specific solutions or commitments to address the concerns raised.
One attendee, who requested anonymity, described the meeting as unproductive and alleged that the former Vice President failed to present what the attendee considered a workable response to the challenges discussed.
“Clearly, we just wasted our time in this gimmicky meeting with a politician who does not have any workable solution to the issues we are facing,” the attendee said.
The source also questioned the political character of the gathering, alleging that the organisation of the meeting was influenced by partisan considerations and that many of those present were sympathetic to the NPP.
“As a country, we have to stop this politics nonsense and be serious. We are genuinely having difficulties as importers and exporters, we are told to meet the NPP’s flagbearer to discuss these problems, and the meeting ends without a single solution or commitment from him. This is annoying,” the source said.
The concerns raised during the engagement reflect some of the broader challenges facing traders and businesses involved in Ghana’s import and export sector.
Among the issues discussed were import duties, demurrage costs, shop rentals, taxation and access to credit, all of which can affect the cost of doing business and the ability of enterprises to expand.
Concerns have also been raised about congestion and delays within Ghana’s port system. The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has previously warned that persistent delays and congestion could increase storage and demurrage costs and undermine the competitiveness of Ghana’s ports as a trade gateway.
Dr Bawumia said the broader objective of his policy dialogue was to identify practical policy measures that would improve the business environment, create opportunities and support job creation.
He also reiterated his ambition of positioning Ghana as a trade hub in the sub-region, while improving the conditions in which traders and other businesses operate.
The former Vice President thanked the Trade Advocacy Group for participating in the engagement and for the ideas and proposals presented during the discussions.