President of Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), David Kwadwo Amoateng has expressed his displeasure about the passage of the three new taxes.
He explained that, with the current challenges traders are facing, the last thing they expected from government was new taxes.
According to him, traders have been advised to add tax charges to the prices of goods.
“Government used to consult us in everything. How can you make such a big move without consulting major stakeholders? Must you continue to tax those you are already taxing?
“If government thinks it’s smart then we have also advised our traders to increase the prices of goods for consumers. We would not sit fold our arms and allow our businesses to collapse. Currently, traders are suffering. Interest rates on loans are as high as 41%,” he lamented.
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To him, any consultations with government at this point will not yield any results.
“Government is not Jesus who resurrected Lazarus. Once they have passed these new taxes, there is no going back,” he said on Accra-based Neat FM.
Parliament has passed the three tax bills which were tabled before it as part of government’s measures to generate more revenue.
The bills namely the Income Tax Amendment Bill, The Excise Duty Amendment Bill and the Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill were passed on Friday, March 31, 2023