The majority in Parliament says it is hopeful of successfully laying the Export and Import Regulations 2023 before the house today after engaging with the minority leadership.
The Minority in Parliament, on Friday, kicked against the legislative instrument for the second time due to the lack of engagement by the Minister for Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond.
The L.I. will restrict the importation of 22 selected strategic products such as rice, poultry, tripe, and sugar.
“The Minority leader was saying that he wanted to see those amendments that I proposed factored into the L.I before its formal introduction to the house. So I felt that it was a legitimate request even though the Minister had assured that he would do it. So he just came to inform me this morning that he had had consultations with the Attorney General, and that they had agreed on most of the things I had done except one. He said that they were printing them, so they will come to parliament tomorrow or maybe this evening.”
“When they come, I will have to discuss with my colleague, the Minority Leader. Once there is an agreement, it will see the light of day tomorrow,” he said.
Meanwhile, the West Africa Director of CUTS International, Appiah Adomako Kusi, has suggested to the Minister of Trade and Industry, KT Hammond, to go back to the drawing board following the resistance against the government’s move to pass a Legislative Instrument to restrict imports of some selected products.
Tempers flared up last Friday when the sector minister tried to lay the legislative instrument in Parliament for the second time, as the Minority vehemently rejected the move.
Mr. Appiah Adomako Kusi however believes the government’s decision to restrict the importation of 22 products in the country was rushed, citing other countries where years of planning go into such policies before implementation.
“It appears someone woke up one morning, went to the office, and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ In most countries, literature tells us that about 45 years of planning go into such measures. They identify the products they want to restrict, the measures needed to improve local capacity, and the constraints of local production. Once you address all of these things, then you give the market, consumers, and businesses a bit of notice, saying, ‘From 2026, there won’t be imports into the country because we have an excess of rice, wheat, or sorghum in the country,” he said.