Traders at the Central Business District in Accra have expressed approval of the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, commending the government’s decision to scrap multiple taxes and increase funding for key social programs.
Following the budget presentation by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, traders shared their satisfaction with the outlined measures, particularly the abolition of the COVID-19 levy, Betting Tax, and E-Levy—a move they believe will ease financial burdens and boost business.
“Abolishing the E-Levy will be beneficial to us as traders. We suffer many deductions from our monies when making electronic transactions, all because of this levy. I personally stopped using mobile money due to this, but following the Finance Minister’s assurance, I feel very happy,” said Ama Ayine, a trader.
Mary Sopele, another trader, also welcomed the tax cuts, saying: “The government’s decision to scrap taxes makes me very happy. I hope that this administration performs better. I believe that now that this has been put in place, the prices of goods on the market will decrease.”
Beyond tax relief, some traders are pleased with the government’s decision to allocate GHC3.5 billion to the Free SHS program and over GHC4 million to support the no-academic-fee policy for first-year university students.
“The Free SHS policy is good. I’ve also heard that the government intends to complete all unfinished school buildings to augment the policy. I think this will help our wards gain a conducive learning environment,” said Vicky Doo.
