The President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has demanded that government provides details and timelines for the implementation of the Import Restrictions Bill currently being considered by Parliament.
The bill, which was championed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, KT Hammond, had already seen minority in parliament shown opposition to its content, citing various business groups’ concerns over the policy’s implementation.
The Export and Import (Restrictions on Importation of Selected Strategic Product) Regulations, 2023, will affect the importation of 22 selected strategic goods, which include rice products, motor cars, fish, clothings, cooking oil and canned foods among many other essentials into the country.
According to Dr. Obeng, it is imperative for the government to provide detailed information to Ghanaians about the aims and objectives of the Legislative Instrument to equip them ahead of time.
Speaking to the media, he stressed on Ghana’s lack of preparation for the policy’s implementation, with what he implied as trivial information of the bill being relayed to the public. He expressed expectations of appropriate aims and objectives to align with the policy.
“We’re not ready for this because what we are expecting is that we have aims and objectives for this policy, and it is not spelt out for even journalists to propagate it well. What is it that we are using the Legislative Instrument to achieve? We want to enhance local productivity, we want to attain self-sufficiency for a period of time.”
He also complained on the relevance of the timeline for the yet-to-be-implemented policy based on scanty information being given on it.
“And what are the timelines for this? It doesn’t spell out the timelines. We are not doing this policy in the abstract. All that we are saying is that we should know the timeline so that when we are going to be restricted, we can hold on to something.”
Dr. Obeng also advised government to take up measures that will enhance local productivity.
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Story by: Sarah Esinam Atiemo | univers.ug.edu.gh
