National Economic Dialogue: Don’t allow recommendations to gather dust – Organised Labour

Organised Labour has urged government to implement 60 to 70 percent of the recommendations from the just ended National Economic Dialogue without delay.

According to them, they will also monitor to ensure that the recommendations do not result in increased taxes that could worsen the already precarious plight of the Ghanaian worker.

They spoke with our labour affairs correspondent, Daniel Opoku in Accra on March 4.

Organised Labour underscored the relevance of the National Economic Dialogue. The leadership explained that it will help in reviving the economy and setting it on a sound footing.

Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah said government should ensure that the recommendations are implemented.

He said, if any tax increment has been proposed, then government should devise new ways of collection.

Mr Ansah contended that strict collection procedures could compel businesses to avoid tax payment.

“If the current tax collection is not very effective we should look at it. Because if you widen the net, you will increase the taxes, it will rather discourage people from paying taxes, but if it is small people can pay effectively. So we must look at the tools in collecting the taxes, otherwise you will increase taxes, and you will have people not paying,” he advised.

Mr Ansah further stated that government should ensure that the implementation of the recommendations should not impact negatively on workers.

“If government is able to implement about 70 to 80 percent of the recommendations, I think he will be in the right way to resetting this country. So, I think 70 to 80 percent for first to the fourth year, I think we will be getting closer to resetting the country,” he explained.

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (GNAT), Angel Carbonu said, the implementation of recommendations should help revive the cocoa and other sectors of the economy.

“A few years ago we were doing one million metric tonnes of cocoa, now it is 500,000 tonnes and below and I understand that the loss is about 60 percent. So, years ago, we were all looking for cocoa syndicated loans. This year 2025, because of about 60 percent of the 500,000 metric tonnes that has been mortgage when we come to the harvest season we will not be able to reap anything significant.

“A lot of the gold that we mine is smuggled out, STC is in debt, ECG is in debt, VRA is in debt, Ghana Water Company is in debt, so what sector is making anything profitable? Absolutely none, because we did not take prudent economic decisions,” he contended.

Mr Carbonu pointed out that the recommendations should also seek to improve on the performance of other state-owned companies.

“In all our dealings we don’t have to be reckless, over expenditure of our public resources, we don’t have to be reckless in going for loans and whatever resources that are mobilized we will need to get value for money and also suggest structures that when put in place we can be sure that there will be no loop holes in the system,” he said.

The General Secretary of the Public Services Workers Union (PUWU), Benard Adjei government should consider implementing decent job creation strategies.

“We don’t just want jobs, we want decent jobs, employment that will respect the rights of workers, the right to unionize, the right to collective bargaining, jobs that will give us social protection, job that will encourage fruitful social dialogue and when we dialogue and we agree, it should be implemented,” he stated.

“We are at a point where Ghanaians are fed up, this government cannot fail us. They need to restore our confidence; I believe that if we commit to the things that will be agreed upon and we even do 60 to 70 percent of it, this country will be different,” Mr Adjei said.

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