As Ghanaians brace for the presentation of the 2025 national budget, traders and business leaders are calling on government to scrap what they describe as “nuisance taxes” that continue to burden the private sector.
Clement Boateng, First Vice President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and former Chairman of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, says the business community has high expectations ahead of tomorrow’s budget presentation by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson.
“We made our concerns clear to political leaders, including then-candidate Mahama, during their campaign rounds. Now, we expect action,” Boateng told ATL News in an interview.
Among the key demands from GUTA are the abolishment of the controversial E-Levy, the 2% special import levy, and the 1% COVID-19 levy. “COVID is over. We don’t see why that tax should still be on our books,” Mr. Boateng argued.
Speaking on Joy News, Mr. Boateng also called for the removal of the 20% tax on locally produced bottled water and fruit juices, as well as the 5% tax on profits before tax, insisting that these measures have stifled local industries and significantly increased the cost of doing business.
On the Value Added Tax (VAT), GUTA is pushing for a review of the current regime, which includes a 22% standard rate, a 4% flat rate, and exemptions for businesses below a certain threshold
Meanwhile, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, former Information Minister and now Minority Spokesperson on the Economy, has urged the government to present an honest account of the economy inherited from the previous administration.
“We expect truthfulness and transparency not creative accounting. And under no circumstances should new taxes be introduced,” Kojo Oppong Nkrumah cautioned.
The 2025 budget presentation, scheduled for March 11, comes at a time when the new administration led by President John Mahama is under pressure to deliver on promises of economic recovery and business-friendly reforms.
The business community has long lamented over-taxation, inflation, and high import duties as major impediments to growth, with repeated calls for a review of tax policies and improved ease of doing business.
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