The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has urged the government to use the 2027 Budget to reduce the cost of doing business and create an enabling environment for private sector growth, saying businesses must expand to generate the jobs needed to tackle unemployment.
The association is also calling for no new taxes in the upcoming budget, arguing that the existing tax burden, high import duties and operating costs are putting pressure on businesses.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, November 11, GUTA Vice President Joseph Paddy said the economy had recorded sustained stability in 2026, but the government must now shift its focus towards growth driven by the private sector.
“Between stability and sustainability, the next level we’re looking forward to is growth. So what systems is the government going to put in place to bring growth? When I talk of growth, I’m looking at the private sector growth,” he said.
Mr Paddy argued that the private sector, rather than government, should be the main engine of employment creation, stressing that businesses could employ more people if they had the conditions to expand.
“We want to hear what the government is going to do to create that enabling environment for the private sector to grow. Then when we grow, we can create the needed employment,” he said.
He called for affordable access to capital, lower utility and transportation costs, and a review of import duties, which he said could amount to about 55 per cent of the capital value of imported goods.
Mr Paddy welcomed the relative stability of the cedi and the decline in interest rates, describing the developments as positive for businesses.
He said the improved exchange rate had reduced the amount traders needed to purchase foreign currency for imports, freeing up resources that could be reinvested in their businesses.
However, he urged the government to build on the gains by introducing policies and projects that would make businesses more competitive and support expansion.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is scheduled to present the 2027 Budget to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
