The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has asked all its regional secretariats to join Organised Labour in preparation for the planned demonstration against the imposition of VAT on domestic power consumption.

Organised Labour has scheduled next Tuesday, February 13 to embark on a demonstration should the government fail or refuse to withdraw the directive it issued for the Ghana Revenue Authority and the power distributors to implement the 15 percent VAT.

In a letter dated February 6, 2024, addressed to all its regional secretaries and titled ‘13TH FEBRUARY, 2024 NATIONWIDE DEMONSTRATION AGAINST 15% VAT ON ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION’, the teachers’ union said it participated in a meeting of Organised Labour held on Friday, 2nd February, 2024 at the Trade Union Hall in Accra at which “Leadership of Organised Labour decided to embark on a nationwide demonstration against government's directive to ECG and NEDCo to start the implementation of 15% VAT on residential consumption of electricity.”

According to GNAT, it agreed to the decision at the meeting to embark on the nationwide demonstration “against the imposition of this insensitive tax.”

“We are by this letter directing all our Regional Secretariats to join Organised Labour in their respective Regions in preparation towards this mammoth demonstration scheduled for Tuesday, 13th February, 2024 at all the Regional capitals”, the letter signed by Isaac Baah, Head of Compensation & Benefits on behalf of the General Secretary, said.

Organised Labour has rejected the imposition of VAT on domestic power consumption, arguing it would compound the already precarious economic situation of workers. An ultimatum for the government to withdraw the tax entirely has since January 29 expired, leaving Labour with its next step of a nationwide demonstration.

Labour has also indicated it will advise itself if the government does not respond positively to the demand after the demonstration.