The President of the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), David Amoateng, has called on the government to standardise tariffs at the country’s ports to promote predictability and reduce the cost of doing business.

Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM with host Otafrigya Kaayire Kwesi Apea-Apreku on Thursday, July 24, Mr. Amoateng said standardised tariffs would enable traders to make better financial projections, which could ultimately lead to price reductions for consumers.

Mr. Amoateng’s remarks come ahead of the mid-year fiscal policy review, which is expected to be delivered in Parliament by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.

He expressed concern about the current practice of updating port exchange rates every Tuesday, describing it as a major hurdle for the business community.

He urged the Finance Minister to abolish the system in favour of a more stable and predictable framework.

“The constant fluctuation in port charges due to exchange rate updates is not helping traders.

The Finance Minister must make this Tuesday exchange rate announcement a thing of the past,” he said.

Mr. Amoateng also highlighted TAGG’s role in influencing national policy, stating that eight key concerns raised by the group during the 2024 general elections were acknowledged, with four of them reflected in the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s manifesto.

Among them was the controversial E-Levy, which he noted appeared in the government’s maiden budget.

He further urged the Finance Minister to use the upcoming budget review to scrap the Covid-19 levy and implement tariff standardisation, saying both measures are necessary to ease the burden on traders and stimulate economic activity.

TAGG remains hopeful that its recommendations will be given serious consideration in the mid-year budget adjustments, he concluded.