The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG) has accused the Trade Minister, Kobina Tahir (KT) Hammond of dishonesty after engagements on the proposed Import Restriction Bill.
FABAG has said there has been only one meeting with the Ministry on the proposed Bill which ended inconclusively.
The General Secretary, Samuel Aggrey made these remarks on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem following KT Hammond’s claims the Associations have been engaged extensively.
“There has been only one meeting which was called by the Deputy Trade Minister where we were informed about a plan to restrict the import of certain products.
“They told us the draft is far advanced and need to be taken to parliament and asked for our recommendations but we asked them to circulate the draft so we could study it to ensure further engagement so we can have a perfect document but that was not done. So the Minister is not being honest with the truth on engagements,” he said.
FABAG had initially criticized the proposed regulation seeking to restrict the importation of rice, fruit juice, margarine, cement, fish, sugar and 16 other “strategic products”.
The Association labelled it as a “political ploy” to benefit some politicians.
Per the proposed regulation, any person seeking to import the selected products will require permission from the Trade Minister.
But FABAG and five other business associations known as the Joint Business Consultative Forum, including the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA) and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), have petitioned Parliament to reject the bill.
They have argue that, the Bill if enacted, could have adverse effects on their businesses, impacting prices and disrupting the free flow of goods.
The Minority in Parliament has, on three occasions, resisted the laying of the LI on grounds that, it was not only dangerous but violated international trade practices and could give too much power to the Trade Minister, a situation that has the propensity to breed corruption.
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