The Secretary of the Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana, CADEG, George Dumenu has urged the government to engage businesses before introducing any new taxes.
He mentioned that importers are currently paying huge taxes at the country’s port and any addition will lead to agitations from the business community whilst the consumers will bear the burden of them all.
He makes this comment on the back of the three billion dollar IMF Extended Credit Facility and its accompanying conditions.
He adds that roping in the non-taxed will increase its revenue from the current 13 per cent to 18 per cent.
Mr Dumenu opined that though taxes are needed to develop any nation, too much of it will make businesses use dubious means to avoid taxes.
He, however, called the government to as after urgency take off the 1 per cent COVID-19 levy to bring some relief to importers and consumers.
“All this while the government needs to engage businessmen and women most especially concerning tax because the revenue that is generated from taxes, is what is used to develop the nation.
If the government goes ahead to introduce taxes it will reach a point where business people will resort to all dubious ways of avoiding taxes either by smuggling and all sorts of things which is not good.
The government should do the right thing by engaging stakeholders, ” Mr Dumenu said.
“I think as the CovID is over the government should do the right thing by going back to Parliament to revert the covid taxes. I think that is the best thing the government has to do now.
All taxes on imported goods are in relation to the exchange rate, so if the taxes are high, we will transfer it to the consumer,” He added.
