Deputy Secretary of the Suame Spare Parts Dealers and Importers Association, Godfred Baffoe Bonnie, has asserted that the existing tax system appears designed to undermine businesses, characterizing it as a form of state robbery.
According to him, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s firm stance on maintaining certain taxes on import duties, coupled with the perceived lack of inclusivity in crafting the 2024 budget statement, reinforces their position.
These remarks were made during an interview with Julius Caesar Anadem on the Ultimate Breakfast Show in Kumasi, as monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
“This government and the finance minister don’t listen to the business community. We engaged him in Accra ahead of the preparation and reading of the budget to discuss some of the taxes at the ports that are killing our business. We met before the budget presentation, and they assured us something would be done, but nothing has changed in the budget, just unwanted taxes.
“I imported 20-footer containers at the port. I paid 40 thousand Ghana cedis. It used not to be like that, go and check the number of containers that are cleared in a day. It has reduced from almost 100 a day to 25,” he alleged.
He also said “The tax regime in this country is just a planned way to rob businesses. Our businesses are collapsing, and we have locked most of our shops because of the dollar and taxes.”