Fishermen vow to reject government tax hikes

Fishermen along the coastal belt of the Central Region have raised serious concerns about government’s decision to increase taxes imposed on the importation of some agricultural and fishing equipment, including outboard motors.

The fishermen have vowed to resist such taxes from government since they would quickly collapse the fishing industry.

"When the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party was campaigning in 2012, they told us they would revive and restore the fishing industry to its former glory. Is this the glory that they talked of? If this is the glory they would give us after we voted for them, then we would advice ourselves," they said.

These fisher folks within the region who spoke to The Independent in separate interviews, hinted that they were preparing grounds to stage the biggest of all demonstration to register their displeasure to government.

They added that should government fail to hear them, they would match themselves to the seat of government in Accra.

"We will not accept any increase in taxes. Never! The fishing industry is collapsing and instead of massing up strategies to regain its glory, you rather want to destroy it totally. Why?" They quizzed.

“Currently, an outboard motor is sold between GHc7,000 and GHc9,000, yet we cannot even get some to buy. Instead of importing more at a reduced price for us, you rather want to impose more taxes on them. So how can we buy them?" they asked.

The aggrieved fisher folks, however, noted that they would not have any problem with government should there be more of their fishing equipment on the market and also know what those huge taxes accrued from such equipment were used for in the country.

"If there were to be outboard motors and fishing materials in abundance on the market, we would not have had any problem, but since there were none and we could not buy even the few on the market, yet more taxes were to be placed on them, then we will not agree with government. Never!" they stated.

In an interview over the weekend with the Chief Fisherman of Elmina, Nana Akonu, he expressed worry about government’s intention to increase the said taxes. He stated that even though government has supported them over the years with fishing materials, fisher folks were in real danger since they could no longer have enough equipment to improve their work.

Nana Akonu noted that the current hardships in the industry have caused some of their wards to be expelled from their school since their parents could not afford to pay their tuition fees. The chief fisherman, however, appealed to government to increase the supply of such fishing and agricultural inputs rather than increasing the prices.

He was quick to add that they had no problem with government wanting to impose taxes, but that central government should ensure that their inputs were in abundance for them to get anytime they needed.