The Ghana Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (GPMA) has announced plans to stage a demonstration on Wednesday, July 10.
This is to protest against imposing a 5% excise tax on all locally manufactured plastic products.
In a statement issued by the GPMA President, Ebow Botwe, they expressed dissatisfaction with the tax and vowed to oppose it.
The statement added that the protest would start from the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, proceed through Accra Technical University, and conclude at the Ministry of Finance.
Earlier in June, the association threatened to cease production for a week if the Ministry of Finance did not address its request for extensive consultations regarding the implementation of the excise tax.
They noted that despite sending a letter requesting a meeting in April 2024, they had not received a response from the Ministry of Finance.
Background
In March 2024, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the government petitioned the plastic manufacturers to start paying a 5 per cent excise tax on all locally manufactured plastic products.
The GPMA include the National Association of Sachet & Packaged Water Producers, the Ghana Union of Traders Association, the Association of Ghana Industries and the Food & Beverage Association of Ghana.
GPMA called on the government to immediately suspend the 5 per cent tax on the ex-factory price of all locally manufactured plastic products.
The plastic manufacturers argued that the newly imposed tax would affect the general manufacturing business community and customers because it would increase the prices of products on the market.
The association called for better, deeper, and broad-based stakeholder consultation on the idea of any excise tax on locally manufactured products and for establishing a well-defined locally manufactured plastic list along with the appropriate guidelines to avoid unambiguity of the law.