February 17, 2004

 

 

Ghana Trade Union Calls For Poultry Import Tax

 

In a bid to boost domestic poultry production, the Ghanaian Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called for the imposition of a 20 percent on poultry imports.

 

This has become even more imperative with the Bird Flu epidemic that has hit Asia and the need for Ghana to produce her own poultry to meet her nutritional needs," said Kwasi Adu Amankwah, Secretary-General of the TUC at a press briefing on the budget in Accra last Friday.

 

He however lauded government goodwill gesture in raising the individual minimum tax threshold from 1.2 million to 1.5 per annum. "We regret, however that it will not have any significant impact on workers' income because the relief, translated into earnings for workers is very low", he added.

 

He also said that the TUC appreciates Government efforts to use corporate taxes reduction to encourage the private sector but it would be better if such policies in the end will benefit the broader section of the private sector since the reduction in real terms would benefit the top-notch companies whose lending risk is very minimal.

 

"The effort therefore to encourage and promote the private sector has to be fine-tuned to take close account of small and medium scale enterprises that are also widely known to be the main sources of employment creation", he added.

 

The TUC was also of the opinion that the macro-economic targets as stated in the 2004 budget are not attainable.

 

The TUC said government's target of achieving 10 percent inflation and a budget deficit of 1.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) cannot be achievable.

 

It said that the budget deficit is also unrealizable because last year, when all foreign flows were received, the set target of 3.3 percent was not achieved but it resulted in 3.4 of the GDP, short of the target.

 

The TUC Boss welcomed the idea of the development of an export-oriented industrialization with emphasis on agro-processing and other manufacturing activities in the rural communities and other vulnerable groups being pursued by government.

 

He said that such undertaking should however take into full consideration poverty-stricken areas spread and the peculiar nature of the produce of the various localities.

 

He stressed "in all these activities, including all the Presidential Special Initiatives, the "Decent Work Agenda" that covers the respect for the rights to form unions, to bargain collectively for fair wages, and to enjoy occupational health and safety should all be incorporated".