Budget review must address nuisance business taxes – Ghana Federation of Labour

The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has urged the government to use the mid-year budget review to remove nuisance taxes that are affecting business activities. 

The Minister of Finance is expected to present the mid-year review of the 2023 budget on July 31, 2023.

Mr. Abraham Koomson, the Secretary General of GFL, speaking in an interview on the Federation’s expectations, said such nuisance taxes were making it extremely expensive for businesses to operate smoothly.

Mr. Koomson said as a result businesses were closing down and workers were left unemployed, hence the need to remove them.

He said that notwithstanding the bailout conditions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the local manufacturing industry must survive to meet reasonable tax obligations to support economic growth and development in the country.

He said maintaining such taxes on local industries would only undermine the source of revenue earmarked by the government to achieve budgeted targets.

He urged the government to engage with critical stakeholders such as the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) on tax policies before applying them.