The Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast South, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, has voiced concerns over the proposed bill seeking to impose import restrictions.
According to him, Legislative Instrument (L.I.) in its current form will only foster corruption within the system.
The Ministry of Trade and Industries recently presented a bill to parliament, aiming to limit the importation of essential items, including popular goods like ‘yemuadie’ (tripes).
The ministry aims to enhance the local economy and promote domestic producers by creating a market for their goods. Importers interested in bringing in the listed items must obtain certification from the ministry before importing them into the country.
However, George Ricketts-Hagan, in an interview on JoyNews, stated that the timing of its introduction is not conducive to sustainable implementation.
While acknowledging the principle behind the proposed restrictions, he argued that more time and thorough consideration are needed for a practical and corruption-resistant framework.
“At the end of the day, all these things we are talking about make this LI a premature one. The timing is not actually good for this. We agree with the principle and everything in it, but it has to be done in a way that will be sustainable.
“At the moment, as it is, he [reference to KT Hammond] can present this in 21 days since it’s an LI, but we cannot have the input that really needs to go into this for it to be sustainable. The endemic corruption that will come out of this, nobody will be able to control it,” he said.
The MP added that the proposed policy if implemented without due diligence, could inadvertently pave the way for a 24-hour economy.
“It’s not a matter of KT Hammond or the NPP being in government. If this thing is put out there for any government in the future or any minister who will get this superpower to be able to do the things that we are proposing, it will become a challenge.
“Otherwise this is a policy that leads straight into the 224-hour economy,” he added.
Source: ghanaweb.com
