Take drastic measures to address importation of goods — NPP’s Paul Amaning
A communications team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Amaning has urged the government to take drastic measures to clamp down on the importation of goods into foreign shops.
According to him, this is what has also resulted in the destabilization of the Ghana cedi and therefore such a move will help revive the economy.
Mr. Amaning also said this can also be possible if the government sees to the production of local goods. Because many of the products are produced in Ghana, importers will be left with no other option than to buy them in Ghana and halt the importation.
“If we don’t take care, in the next five years people will have to depend on human meat for survival because the unemployment rate will increase. Sadly, most of the current unemployed youths are interested in white-collar jobs or security services. So which people should be producing for us? Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) is an institution being fully sponsored by foreigners and that is why they are in tango with the Government on many decisions that frown on the importation,” he said.
“Today, a dollar is selling at GH¢11. How did we get here? This is what happens when we are making importation of 13 billion. Yet, these same products which are imported can be produced here in Ghana. But we prefer to travel to China to buy them,” he added.
He pleaded with Ghanaians to rise against resistance by the GUTA on the government’s decisions and also urged the government not to allow GUTA to go ahead with what it wants because it fears it will lose power, or else this will open the floodgate for everyone to do what they so wish.