Former President, John Mahama has expressed shock at 22 levies and fees on the clearing of goods at the Tema Port.
According to him, the charges are making Ghana unattractive for investment and business.
The 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) raised these concerns in an engagement with the members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
“There is a 2023 Lexus; these are the charges: 20% import duty, import VAT, then processing fees, then ECOWAS levy, vehicle examination fee, then network charges, then network charge VAT, then network charge COVID. I am shocked.
“Then Ghana Shippers Authority, then import NHIL, then network charges NHIL, GHS disinfection fee, then MOTI import declaration fee, special import levy, Ghana export-import bank levy, Ghana Education Trust Fund, Ghana Education Trust Fund Network charge, Africa import union levy, then COVID health recovery levy, then certification, then IRS. There is an overage penalty, but it is zero because it is a new car,” he bemoaned.
Emphasising the need for urgent action, he stated the ruling government has failed to honour its pledge to reduce taxes by rather increasing them.
“So if somebody tells you that when I come, I am going to abolish this tax and the person is in government now, ask him to go to the IMF and tell them that they are going to abolish that. Right now, our review is in danger because they also want to put VAT on electricity. You know we opposed it.
“If they can do it, let them start implementing it now. Let us see, and do not say we should vote for you before you come and implement it,” he noted.
He added that the government has signed an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that requires the percentage of revenue to GDP to be increased to 24 per cent by 2028, stressing that this is an unrealistic goal given the current economic conditions.
“So, this review is going to see where they can find that money because that money would have brought in 1.8 billion, so by now they would be formulating another new tax that they can put on you, so we must be careful with the promises that some people are making,” he said.
ALSO READ:
