Government Is Collapsing Our Businesses – GUTA Cries

Some members of the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA) say they are unimpressed with the Akufo-Addo-led administration’s first three years in office.

According to the General Secretary of the Greater Accra Regional branch of the Association, Nana Poku, a capitalist-oriented government, which claimed to have businesses at heart, is rather ripping them off.

He revealed that traders are made to pay exorbitant prices, especially at the ports, just to clear their goods adding that government has failed the citizens in respect to promises made ahead of the 2016 general elections.

”NPP government is collapsing businesses in Ghana. After 3 years of critical assessment of our Association, we have found out that, trading is gradually dying in the country because of the policies and interventions of this current government. We have done a whole lot, expecting that retail trading in the Country could have a boost from this government but they have turned a deaf ear to our concerns.

”Market women and business men are crying every day. Those that were importing five containers a month are now importing one container in a month. WHY? We said the previous administration was not doing enough for the  business community to grow, but with this current crop of people, whom we think have the ideas and have everything to see businesses grow to the highest capacity, they  have rather failed us’, ‘he said in an exclusive interview with The New Publisher.

He revealed that, goods, which previously were valued at cost d at GH¢25,000, today costs trice.

“That is why we are telling government we count from one before going to two; this is too much to bear. A country without business men and traders cannot be called a country. Each and every morning, traders come to my office and cry that at the end of the day, their businesses are collapsing as a result of the bad policies introduced by the Finance Minister”, he bemoaned.

Mr. Poku noted that, majority of their members have their containers locked at the Tema port due to the outrageous taxes slapped on them.

According to him, since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took over governance, they had shown nothing, except collapsing of businesses, folding up of Companies, and Bankruptcy among others, which had resulted in thousands of people losing their sources of livelihoods.

Without mincing words, Poku accused the NPP government of rendering many traders jobless, due to some of its policies implemented.

He further advised the government to put in stringent measures to arrest the skyrocketing taxes, most of which he believes are illegal.

”We want to tell government, change your ways now. The people voted for you to change their destinies. If you give them cause to believe that the government does not respect them, they will also show you their power during elections”, he threatened.