The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) has asked the government to immediately withdraw the implementation of a 5% excise tax on plastic manufacturers.
President of the Association, Dr. Joseph Obeng, posited that under the prevailing economic challenges, it would not be fair for the government to implement such a tax.
Speaking in an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 97.5FM, Dr. Obeng said they were opposed to the tax and wanted it withdrawn.
He stated that the tax would have a negative impact on plastic manufacturing companies in the country and called for the immediate withdrawal of the tax to save the companies from collapse.
He said if the justification for the tax is waste management, already we have an environmental tax in existence, and this one is unnecessary.
“I strongly believe the government just wants to generate more revenue. The taxes are too many and not healthy for businesses in the country. Imposing such a tax on plastic manufacturers in the country, especially at this time of instability of the local currency, coupled with increasing utility tariffs and other numerous taxes that the business community is grappling with, is unfortunate.”
He also lamented that several business owners have lost more than 50% of their capital, stressing that Ghanaian businesses are struggling. The cedi is still depreciating, so every business owner is struggling, and so this is not the time to impose our next taxes. That is why we have asked for it to be scrapped until such a time that we can say it is prudent to reintroduce it.
By: Rainbowadioonline.com/Ghana
