Members of the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association are threatening to halt production for a week if its request for extensive consultation with the Ministry of Finance on the implementation of the five per cent excise tax is not met.
They claimed the Ministry of Finance was yet to respond to a letter of request for a meeting, since April 2024.
The Association said over 30,000 workers were likely to be laid off temporarily should the members embark on the industrial action.
It, therefore, asked the Government to immediately and indefinitely suspend the tax on the Ex-Factory Prices of all locally manufactured plastic products.
“At this stage, we appeal to the Vice-President, Dr Bawumia to intervene in this matter because the effect of the consumer tax will really affect the masses. The common man, the common woman will suffer extreme hardship,” said Mr Ebbo Botwe, the President of the Association at a press briefing on Wednesday.
He said, the tax was “obnoxious and retrogressive” for manufacturing and would impact a wide range of industries whose products were consumed daily.
“If this new tax is implemented in its current form, it will bring a cascading high-rise effect on prices of products that affect our everyday lives because plastics and plastic packaging form about 98 per cent of our daily basic needs.
“Let me remind you that over 92 per cent of industries and businesses in Ghana depend on the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers for all their plastic packaging needs,” he added.
He observed that some plastic companies had relocated to the neighbouring Ivory Coast and exported finished products to Ghana due to the instability of the currency as well as the higher tax regime.
The Association also called on the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to desist from harassing plastic manufacturers with demand notices and threats for members to start filing for the excise tax with effect June 21, 2024.
At the press briefing were representatives from the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Food and Beverage Association of Ghana, Plastic Sellers Association of Ghana and the Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers.