There’s no intention by Prez. Mahama to promote made-in-Ghana goods – Ken. Agyapong

• Posted on March 10, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mem­ber of Parliament (MP) for Assin Cen­tral, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has said that there is no real intention by President John Mahama to promote made-in-Ghana goods as stated in his State of the Nation Address.

He said the government has not cre­ated the enabling environment to encourage local manufacturers to be competitive locally and globally.

He disclosed this while contributing to the discussion on the State of the Nation Address in Parliament.

He said while some foreign compa­nies have been given tax rebates, local companies have been slapped with more taxes making the cost of produc­tion very expensive locally.

He said utility tariffs have ‘abnor­mally’ gone up to negatively affect the local industry.

“Mr Speaker, I own a company and was paying about GHc 30,000 electricity bill in November last year, now I am paying over GHc 67,000, which is more than 100 percent increase and is having a telling effect on the operations of my company not to talk about water bill,” he said.

“The idea of promoting local produc­tion of many of the things that we import is a brilliant idea and the gov­ernment must indeed walk its talk”, he indicated.

“We all support this brilliant idea for the government to promote made-in- Ghana goods, but I think the govern­ment must indeed practically show its commitment.

In order to forcefully put across his message, the MP for Assin Central dis­played two types of wax prints on the Ghanaian market.

One of the wax print is made in Ghana by GTP while the other is made in China, according to him.

While a half piece of the made-in- Ghana wax print costs GHc50, the one imported from China is costing GHc 30 with almost the same quality.

He said goods imported from abroad are generally cheaper than those manufactured in Ghana because of pre­vailing economic conditions.

Fuel prices in the country are sky­rocketing everyday even though prices on the international market remain rela­tively stable, he said.

“When the NPP was leaving power in 2009, a gallon of petrol cost GHc 5 but now it is selling at GHc 11.47 which are all having negative repercussions on the cost of production in the country.

“I think President Mahama must do something to bring relief to local manu­facturers so that they can also compete locally and globally,” he said.

-Daily Guide