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The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has asked government to ensure it honours its promise on the reduction of import duties as announced over the weekend.

According to them, though they are excited about the announcement, they expect government to immediately put in place measures that will generate discussions which will see to the full implementation of reducing import duties that is adversely affecting their business.

Some trade unions, including the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA), petitioned the Council of State a couple of months ago to intervene to review taxes and duties on imported items because they are too high.

Following the petition, the Council of State moved into action to hold consultations with various stakeholders to enable it to provide informed advice on the issue.

The council held discussions with a number of stakeholders, including the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, and the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Isaac Crentsil.

The council also met the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, and the leadership of GUTA, bringing the month-long consultative exercise to an end.

They later held a closed-door meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the high rate of duties, levies and taxes on imported goods at Ghana's ports of entry and the large volumes of tax exemptions.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has indicated that reforms to Ghana’s import duty regime, which will bring down the high duties prevailing in Ghana’s ports, are in the offing, and will be rolled out soon.

“We have realised from the studies we have done that our ports are not competitive, and the import regime in our country is far too high. We are dealing with it, and, very soon, the measures that the government will roll out will become known to all of you. I am not talking next year, or in 6 months’ time, I am talking very, very soon,” he told the Ghanaian community in the US.

Speaking on Okay fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, National Chairman of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, said
"We have been waiting to hear this from government for far too long. We petitioned the council of state over the high cost of import duties which is crippling our business so now that government has said this, we expect him to act within the shortest possible time frame to enable us bounce back."