A communicator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Amani has called on government to shut down foreign malls in the country.
According to him, these malls do not accept local product as they import all products including pepper.
Speaking to Kwaku Dawuro on Movement In The Morning Show, Mr. Amani said that ‘’when these foreign malls bring in imported goods and they sell to consumers, government has a tax on every product purchased. These taxes are paid by the user, but they refuse to pay these monies to government. I am into palm oil production but it hurts that government spends 400million dollars to import palm oil from Malaysia when we have the capacity to produce these oils right here in Ghana”.
”99% of the items at china malls and other foreign malls are imported. No matter how well packaged your products are, Â they will refuse it, just because they are locally made. I have gone to all the foreign malls to have my product on their shelf even at a fee, but they have refused, they will rather import from their countries”, he added.
In furtherance he stated that ”government spends 13 billion on imported items. Tomatoes, pepper , and chewing stick are all imported. They don’t buy the items here for the money to stay in the country, so if government is requesting for higher tax due to high importation why must they have an issue? They charge high good prices but when its time to pay tax they refuse?”.
”Remember government does not print dollar so we need to export for foreign exchange or go for bond to support the cedi. Â When these foreign companies come into the country to sell, they take the dollar back to their country. The benchmark value was reduced and they are enjoying but have refused to give what’s due government”, he stated.
He indicated that when one buys a foreign product he or she employs a foreigner, adding GUTA is collapsing Ghana’s economy.