Anthony Oppong, the regional head of the Ghana Union of Traders Association for Ashanti, issues a warning to the government, advising them against including any additional taxes in the budget proposal for 2024.
According to Anthony, rather than introducing new levies, the 2024 budget should prioritize policies aimed at easing the ongoing difficulties that businesses encounter.
On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to give the government’s 2024 Annual Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament.
In an interview with Rainbow Radio’s “Nyankonton Mu Nsem” show, which 1Family Radio closely followed, the GUTA chair made it very clear that adding more taxes would only exacerbate the problems Ghanaians are already facing.
Then, in an attempt to revive the country’s faltering economy, he encouraged the government to severely cut spending.
We anticipated the government offering steps to address the issues facing the economy, the chair said, adding that the traders should not be taking on these new tariffs.
He said that the traders will have to pass the taxes on to Ghanaians if the government fails and imposes more levies. He went on, “We Ghanaian traders are not Father Christmas; when more taxes are imposed, we are unable to get loans and sell them for less. We would not be functioning as businesses if we did that.
