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Ghana will have lowest tax rate in ECOWAS under my presidency – Alan
The founder and leader of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyerematen, has pledged to abolish several taxes imposed on imports that he said are unnecessary and a huge burden to the trading community.
Mr. Kyerematen made the pledge in an engagement with members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
He said the abolishment of such taxes and levies would make Ghana the country within the ECOWAS subregion with the lowest tax regime.
“Under my presidency, Ghana will have the lowest tax rate regime in ECOWAS,” he said.
Outlining a raft of radical tax measures to realign and reduce the burden of taxes on Ghanaians, especially on imports, Mr. Kyerematen said immediate measures will include consolidating the existing NHIL & GETFund levies at the ports into the calculation of a new VAT rate, and the abolition of the Special Import Levy of 2%, COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy and the Ghana Health Service Disinfection Fee.
Recognising the level of stress and difficulties faced by the Ghanaian business owner, which is ultimately transferred to the customer, Mr. Kyerematen stressed the importance of easing the business environment for traders as a means of improving the livelihoods of ordinary Ghanaians.
“Until government creates an enabling environment for private sector-led growth, the transformation that we so desire will continue to elude us,” he said.
In another groundbreaking and innovative approach, Alan Kyerematen intimated that a government under his leadership will shift from the current heavy reliance on indirect taxes to direct taxes.
“I will ensure a recalibration of the existing tax regime structure to optimize revenue mobilization from direct taxes (personal and corporate), and reduce over-reliance on indirect taxes (import duties, levies, and charges) to make the corporate sector more competitive and profitable,”he said.
Mr. Kyerematen based his remarks on the plans set out in his Great Transformational Plan (GTP) which seeks to move beyond mere promises of political party manifestos to actual plans that can deliver the vision of Ghanaians for a prosperous, united, and peaceful Ghana that provides equal opportunities for all, especially young people, women, and other vulnerable groups.
He promised that taxes and other charges on the importation of spare parts would be abolished two years into his administration.
Mr. Kyerematen further promised to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the relevance of all other administrative fees, service charges, and levies imposed at the ports will be undertaken.
Bemoaning the plethora of taxes that make doing business difficult in Ghana, the President of GUTA, Dr. Obeng, mentioned 22 different taxes apart from VAT, adding up to nearly 65% of the value of imports.
Moreover, over fourteen state agencies operate in the port, as well as various security agencies. This state of affairs drives up the cost of doing business, making businesses move to other ports, and encouraging unethical practices.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
