<<Print>>

Cabinet has approved a waiver of import duty on vehicles for Foreign Service officers and Ghanaian international civil servants. The decision, which was taken at yesterday�s Cabinet meeting, was to offer the affected category of workers some relief and to motivate them to give of their best. It followed increasing requests from the workers to the government to consider granting the waiver. The beneficiaries are Foreign Service officers and Ghanaian international civil servants, including those serving with the United Nations. A source at the Cabinet told the Times that in the case of the UN workers, they had been agitating for the waiver because a percentage of their salaries went directly to the government. �It has taken the President Atta Mills Administration to bring relief to the Foreign Service officers and their international Ghanaian counterparts,� the source said, adding that for the system not to be abused, Cabinet also agreed that a number of conditions should be instituted. According to the conditions, the waiver would be limited to only one vehicle at any given time, and would be enjoyed once in four years (which is the average period a foreign officer serves). In addition, the engine capacity of the vehicle should not exceed 3.000 cc, and it cannot be sold before it is three years old in Ghana. �The decision taken by Cabinet will most certainly be a great source of joy to Ghana�s foreign service officers who need government�s support and motivation,� the source noted.