GUTA Calls for Lower Business Costs, No New Taxes in 2027 Budget
Story by: Regina Bless
The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is urging the government to prioritise reducing the cost of doing business and creating favourable conditions for private sector expansion in the 2027 Budget.
The association believes that supporting businesses to grow and become more competitive is essential to generating employment opportunities and addressing unemployment in the country.
GUTA Vice President, Joseph Paddy, acknowledged that Ghana had experienced relative economic stability in 2026 but said the next priority should be achieving sustainable growth through private sector development.
He stressed that the government must introduce practical measures to enable businesses to expand, rather than relying heavily on the public sector to create jobs.
According to Mr Paddy, a stronger private sector would have the capacity to employ more people if businesses were provided with the right economic conditions.
He said the association expects the upcoming budget to address major challenges confronting traders and business owners, particularly access to affordable financing, high utility bills, transportation expenses and import duties.
Mr Paddy also expressed concern about the cost of importing goods into the country, noting that import duties could account for approximately 55 per cent of the capital value of imported products.
GUTA is therefore calling for a review of import duties and other business-related charges to ease the financial burden on traders.
The association has further appealed to government not to introduce additional taxes in the 2027 Budget, arguing that existing tax obligations, coupled with high operational costs, continue to put pressure on businesses.
Meanwhile, Mr Paddy welcomed the relative stability of the Ghana cedi and the reduction in interest rates, describing them as encouraging developments for the trading community.
He explained that the improved exchange rate had reduced the amount of money traders needed to purchase foreign currency for imports, allowing some businesses to retain funds that could be reinvested into their operations.
However, he maintained that government must introduce additional policies and development initiatives to sustain these gains and strengthen the competitiveness of local businesses.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is scheduled to present the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026, with businesses and other economic stakeholders looking forward to measures that will support growth and improve the business environment.