The Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA) has expressed disappointment with the 2024 budget, claiming that their demands were unmet by the government.

The union asserts that despite being consulted prior to the budget presentation, their inputs were disregarded.

GUTA President, Dr. Joseph Obeng, voiced his discontent on JoyNews stating that the tax reliefs outlined in the budget lack the necessary depth to positively impact the majority of businesses and the citizens at large.

While acknowledging some positive aspects, such as relief for agricultural machinery, pharmaceutical raw materials, and other select sectors, Dr. Obeng emphasized that the high cost of doing business remains largely unaffected for the majority of traders.

“We were consulted and we gave our inputs and we thought that they were going to be considered because we made very meaningful inputs, but our demands were not met especially those of us in the trading community.

“But admittedly, some segments of the business community have gotten some reliefs and these reliefs are also positive. When you look at the relief for agric machinery, relief on raw materials for pharmaceuticals, relief for African prints, those of electric cars and all that, these are positive but they’re in the minority,“ myjoyonline.com quoted him to have said.

Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced some tax relief measures in the 2024 budget, including an extension of zero-rated VAT on specific goods, waivers on import duties for electric vehicles and agricultural machinery, and the expansion of the Environmental Excise Duty.

AM/SARA

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