The National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday called on Ghanaians and the media to support the Minority in Parliament to stop the government’s proposed law to ban the importation of selected food and non-food items into the country.
Some of the proposed restricted items are rice, poultry, fruit juice, noodles, intestines, soap, iron and steel.
It said the proposed law if passed could give discretionary powers to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Kwabena Tahiru Hammond.
Addressing the media at its party office on its Moment of Truth series, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority side in Parliament was determined to pass the Legislative Instrument (LI) into law if nothing was done to stop them.
“The NDC holds the view that the right to import essential commodities into the country cannot be limited to the whims and caprices of a Minister of Trade and Industry, his deputy or a certain Import Permit Committee, which will be constituted by the Minister under Regulation (2) of the proposed regulations.”
But Dr Forson and his NDC colleagues in Parliament kicked against the move since it was announced few weeks ago, for a number of reasons, including the possibility of the new law becoming an avenue for corruption, favouratism in granting licences to only NPP sympathisers and arbitrary application of the law.
He said the NDC believes in open market economy and supports the promotion of local industry.
Dr Forson said until Ghanaians and the media protest against the proposed law through advocacy and social activism, the Majority would passed it.
Dr Forson who is the Member of Parlaiment of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam told journalists that the Minority does not have the numbers to stop the passage of the LI once it was laid and matured after 21 days.
The Minority Leader said it would take two thirds of the House, about 187 members of Parliament to overturn the proposed law if passed.
He said the NDC Minority in the House is numerically disadvantaged and that their opposition to the passage of the LI into law would end once the LI is laid and passed.
On that recocking, Dr Froson stated where credible data exists to show that Ghana has adequate domestic capacity to produce a particular product, or where the consumption of a product has been proven to be injurious to public health or safety, government can simply place a ban on the importation of such products into the country.
However, he noted that where a particular product has not been proven to be harmful to public health or safety, and there is no credible data to show that adequate domestic capacity exists to fully meet the demand for that product, government can regulate the importation of that product in two main ways: introduce a transparent quota system for the importation of certain products, as was done by the erstwhile NDC/Mahama administration in the poultry sector.
He said a quota system requires a prospective importer of a particular product to first show proof of utilising existing local capacity by procuring a certain percentage of his intended import volume, locally.
Dr Forson said when the erstwhile NDC/Mahama government realised that the local poultry industry had capacity to meet about 20 per cent of total domestic consumption, the government introduced the 40 per cent rule in the year 2014, which required poultry importers to purchase at least, 40 per cent of their total stock from local poultry farmers.
He said the policy was implemented alongside the Ghana Broiler Project and the provision of incentives for local poultry farmers, aimed at enhancing the domestic production of poultry.
Dr Forson said another mechanism that can be used to regulate imports with the aim of protecting indigenous industries, is the imposition of tariff and non-tariff measures on certain products to encourage the patronage and consumption of locally-produced commodities.
He said it was a known fact that trade volumes at the country’s ports have dropped drastically under President Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government due to high duties and taxes.
Additionally, Dr Forson said that smuggling of goods out of Ghana to other neighbouring countries had intensified due to the porous nature of the borders, adding that the LI would exacerbate the problems and negatively impact livelihoods and the economy.
On the raft of new taxes the government intends to impose on Ghanaians in 2024, Dr Forson said it would worsen the plight of the already impoverished Ghanaians.
The government is seeking to impose through the Ministry of Finance some form of taxes on cars, motorcycles and other machinery next year.
It is also imposing taxes on house owners and factories that produces smoke.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
