No Import Duties on Electric Vehicles for Eight Years

Ghana has announced that imported electric vehicles will be subject to zero duties for a period of eight years beginning in 2024. Finance minister Ken Ofori‑Atta said import duties will also be waived for eight years on electric vehicles designed for public transportation; as well as for semi‑knocked down and completely knocked down vehicles brought into Ghana by registered electric vehicle assembly firms. The waiver is intended to accelerate electric vehicle use in the country, and encourage the domestic manufacturing and assembly of electric vehicles. Ghana joins a growing number of African countries which have eliminated or reduced import duties and taxes on electric vehicles, including Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia.

The measure is part of several tax relief measures proposed in the budget. The government will also grant import duty exemptions on agricultural machinery, equipment and inputs; pharmaceutical industry raw materials; medical consumables; and raw materials for the domestic production of sanitary pads.