2022 budget must address high cost of doing business – Traders

A cross-section of traders in the Cape Coast Metropolis have lamented about the high cost of doing business and prayed the government to address it.

Expressing their expectations ahead of the 2022 budget to be read on Wednesday, November 17 in Parliament, the traders called for drastic reductions in VAT, income taxes, port charges, assembly fees, among others.

Madam Charlotte Andrews, a fish seller at the Kotokuraba market in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the high taxes across board had increased prices, resulting in low sales.

She looks forward to Government’s review of the taxes to enable them expand their business and also venture into other businesses.

Mr Stephen Awotwe, a driver, called on the government to put measures in place to reduce the persistent rise in fuel prices to save their businesses from collapse, saying “initially Government subsidized some taxes on fuel but presently, we are footing everything”.

On support for local industries, Madam Matilda Asante who sells African prints, urged government to float soft loans to support local businesses and encouraged Ghanaians to patronise made-in-Ghana goods.

She said state-owned enterprises must only buy goods and services produced in the country, and be allowed to import only on exceptional cases.

This, she said will increase production and patronage of locally made goods, which will cause inflation to reduce drastically.

Mr Ernest Nartey, a year-27-old cosmetic seller, told the government to commit to its resolution to construct more roads to ease the burden of commuters.

Source: GNA