Bawumia engages traders over high import duties, taxes and demurrage

Former Vice President and 2028 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has engaged the Trade Advocacy Group, an association of traders, importers and business people, over challenges affecting trade and businesses in Ghana.

The meeting formed part of his ongoing policy dialogue series aimed at gathering views from stakeholders on economic and business-related issues.

According to Dr Bawumia, the traders identified high import duties, costly demurrage, expensive shop rentals, high taxes and limited access to credit among their major concerns.

“They enumerated various challenges such as high and arbitrary import duties, high cost of demurrage, high cost of renting shops, high taxes and access to credits," the former Vice President wrote in a social media post on Thursday, September 17.

Dr Bawumia said discussions at the meeting focused on policies that could address the concerns raised by the traders and create a more conducive environment for businesses.

He said such measures should help expand business opportunities, create jobs and strengthen Ghana's position as a trade hub in the sub-region.

“The discussion was generally centered on policies that would solve these problems and make it easier to do business, expand opportunities, create jobs and position Ghana as a trade hub in the sub-region," he wrote.