The opposition National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has urged the government to invest in local manufacturing of some essential commodities before the passage of the Legislative Instrument that seeks to ban some products into the country.
Speaking on the recent decision by the Minister of Trade and Industry to introduce a legislative instrument that seeks to restrict the importation of about 22 products in the country, the Former Deputy Minister of Finance under the National Democratic Congress and John Dramani Mahama’s administration indicated that such policy portends severe consequences to the county’s economy if it is approved by parliament.
According to him, the government can only ban the importation of the various 22 products into the country if the country can produce such products locally.
“Look, it is not a policy that we are against; that is pretty much where all of us believe we should be going at the end of the day and that we should be able to at least produce what we eat and that not everything we consume here should be coming from elsewhere. But because we have not been able to create the structures to manufacture those things here we are always depending on someone else.
“For instance, if we produce a certain amount of rice in this country but the consumption of rice that come into this country is GHS 2bilion for argument sake and half a billion is produced locally then if you in any instance where you want to do away with the outside one then you need to start taking steps to make sure that you are scaling up domestic productions whiles you are scaling down what you import into the country”.
George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan
Trade Minister Accused Of Lacking Due Diligence In The Drafting Of Proposed LI.
Again, the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South accused the Minister of Trade and Industry, Honorable K. T Hammond of failing to appreciate the complexities and implications of the proposed Legislative Instrument on the country’s economy.
According to him, some of the products earmarked to be banned are essential for both domestic and industrial use hence the decision by the government to ban their import is untenable.
“We don’t produce sugar in this country so if you say no one should bring such product into the country even though you can base on health reasons to say that, however, that alone cannot be justifications based upon which people should not eat sugar. Sugar is not made for domestic use only but for other industrial things in the country, so to have sugar on the list tells me that the government did not think well about the whole idea”.
George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan
Furthermore, Mr Ricketts-Hagan lamented over the government particularly the Minister of Trade and Industry’s failure to submit the details of the total amount of the various 22 products the country produces locally and those it imports into the country.
He noted that the provision of such data by the government and the Minister of Trade and Industry would allow the country particularly Parliament to collaborate with the government to propose measures that could strengthen the local manufacturing ring of that product in the country and to boost and increase their productivity.
Moreover, the former Deputy Minister of Finance lamented the possible display of corruption and other trade irregularities that are likely to arise if the government goes ahead to ban the importation of such products into the country.
According to him the passage of the Legislative Instrument by Parliament would make the Minister of Trade too powerful which could lead to a possible abuse of power and discrimination against political opponents by the Minister of Trade and Industry.
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