Government must impose heavy taxes on the alcohol industry — GhanaPA

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A group calling itself the Alcohol Policy Alliance Ghana (GhanAPA) has backed the call by the Chief Executive Officer of GIHOC and former Member of Parliament Hon. Maxwell Kofi Dwumah for government to impose heavy taxes on the alcohol industry in Ghana.

In a press release issued in Accra on Monday and signed by Mr. Benjamin Anabila, the group's President, GhanaPA was of the view that the call made by the former Parliamentarian will help curtail or limit the importation, production and consumption of alcoholic drinks in the country.

“This call couldn’t have come at a better time than this, considering the COVID 19 cases and mortality rates recorded in Ghana. While COVID-19 had initially been considered as respiratory infective condition that causes harm primarily through inflammatory and immunological processes in the respiratory track.”

The statement observed that emerging evidence points out that, patients living with Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are at high risk of contacting COVID-19 and suffering more. These findings were confirmed by the President of Ghana; Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo during his 24^th Update of Covid-19 to the country. President Akufo-Addo categorically stated that people living with underlining health conditions such as NCDs are at a larger risk to contact COVID-19.

According to WHO, NCDs kill 41 million people every year which is equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. 77% of all NCD deaths are in low and middle-income countries where Ghana falls. WHO also states that harmful use of alcohol causes detrimental health and social consequences for the drinker, the people around and the society at large. Alcohol use is one of the world’s leading risk factors for illness, disability and death.

“Alcohol accounts for 3.3 million deaths each year than HIV/AIDS, violence and Tuberculosis. 4.8% of all global burdens of diseases and injuries are attributed to alcohol consumption. It is estimated that alcohol consumption alone causes more than 10% of burdens of Non Communicable Diseases globally,” the press release added.

Mr. Anabila pointed out that based on the information above, GhanAPA believes that there is no benefit associated with the consumption of alcohol. He added that the poor are most vulnerable to alcohol-related diseases and its negative impact.

According to him, these vulnerable groups are the ones who cannot afford their hospital bills. "So increasing alcohol tax or imposing a new levy on alcohol will help limit the intake of alcohol by the vulnerable and also the levy could be used to fund the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)."