Tema Internet Cafe operators appeal for tax reliefs

Internet cafe operators and owners in the Tema Metropolis on Friday appealed to internet service providers to assist them with more unlimited data to sustain their cafe businesses.

Mr. Gilbert Hanudzi an internet café operator told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that; "the high cost of data, amidst COVID-19 pandemic has had negative impact on the business, our profit margins have dwindled drastically.

“We used to operate with unlimited data of GH¢140.00 for two-weeks, now we have to buy GH¢260.00 which is expensive,” he said and appealed to the internet service providers to reduce the price, “or offer more data packages for the internet café operators to sustain the internet cafe business”.

Mr. Hanudzi said that the internet cafe business was quiet good before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, “now people fear to patronize the cafés due to the pandemic, we have lost all our customers”.

He also cited that the use of smartphones, personal laptops, and other smart electronic devices had affected the cafe business drastically, the patronage of the business is low and this affected the daily income that comes in daily.
Mr. Hanudzi said that, after the lockdown was lifted, customers were still reluctant to patronize their services.

Mr. Hudu Donkor, General Manager of central cafe at Community One added that, the internet service is almost everywhere and Café operators now provided other services like graphic designing, printing, DVLA forms, online passport and school registration and that's the only strategy needed to help feed the family and pay bills.