The Welfare Officer of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Mr. Benjamin Yeboah, has appealed to government to review taxes and charges at Ghana’s ports, describing them as excessively high and a burden on traders.
Speaking on the Happy Morning Show with host Kwadwo Sefah-Danquah, Mr. Yeboah said importers are paying about 50% of the cost of their goods in duties and charges at the port, a situation he said is crippling businesses.
According to him, compared to other African countries, Ghana ranks second in terms of high taxes and charges at the ports, which he described as unfavourable for traders and the business environment.
“There is so much money that we pay at the Ghana port. For items imported into Ghana, we pay about 50% of the cost as duties. It is too high, and when you compare it to other African nations, Ghana is the second highest. This is not good for us,” he stressed, urging government to “do something about it.”
Mr. Yeboah, however, welcomed the government’s announcement of the removal of the COVID-19 levy, saying it is a positive step that will provide some relief to traders.
He noted that the scrapping of the levy would help reduce the cost of doing business and ease the financial pressure on importers and consumers.
Touching on the proposed Women’s Bank, Mr. Yeboah said government’s decision to inject funds into the institution is commendable, as it will help strengthen the bank to support women in business.
He said adequate capitalisation of the bank would enable it effectively provide loans and financial support to women traders and entrepreneurs.
Mr. Yeboah also lauded efforts to stabilise the cedi, describing currency stability as “very important” for planning and business operations.
However, he emphasised that government must do more to address the high level of importation into the country. He noted that the volume of imports is not driven only by Ghanaian traders but also by foreigners who have opened many businesses in Ghana and are actively involved in import trade.
He urged government to critically examine the country’s import regime and design policies that protect local businesses while ensuring a fair and competitive market.
