Government To Ban Importation Of Tripe, Rice, Poultry And 19 Other "Strategic Products" Soon

Government To Ban Importation Of Tripe, Rice, Poultry And 19 Other "Strategic Products" Soon

  • The government is working on a new law that will ban the importation of strategic products, including staples like rice, fruit juices, tripe (yemuadiɛ), fish, cement, and 17 other items
  • The Minority is, however, impeding the progress of the proposed regulation, demanding additional consultations
  • Trade minister KT Hammond has said the regulation will shape the import landscape and strengthen the local economy

The government is currently in the process of formulating regulations aimed at imposing restrictions on the importation of specific goods categorised as strategic products.

Among the items targeted by this regulatory initiative are staples such as rice, fruit juices, tripe (yemuadiɛ) and 18 other goods.

The regulation to import these products is being championed by trade minister KT Hammond, who believes the legislation is critical to protecting the local economy.

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Government To Ban Importation Of Tripe, Rice, Poultry And 19 Other "Strategic Products" Soon
File photo of tripe and KT Hammond. Source: Getty Images, Facebook/@Parliament.of.Ghana
Source: UGC

The minister told journalists that the regulation would also shape the import landscape for key commodities in Ghana.

Ghana imports a huge quantity of goods and the high import duty placed on goods has not helped.

The government's push for these restrictions aligns with broader economic strategies and aims to address issues related to trade imbalances, domestic production, and overall economic stability.

However, the governing is facing opposition from the Minority in parliament.

The Minority MPs feel that an important legislation such as the one being championed by the trade ministry needs further dialogue and consensus-building before it can move forward.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs are calling particularly for the input of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee on the proposed import restrictions.

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Below is the full list of the "strategic products" the import restriction would affect if it comes into force:

  1. Animal and Vegetable Oil
  2. Biscuits
  3. Canned Tomatoes
  4. Cement
  5. Ceramic Tiles
  6. Clothing and Apparel
  7. Corrugated Paper and Paper Board
  8. Fish
  9. Fruit Juices
  10. Iron and Steel
  11. Margarine
  12. Mineral Water
  13. Mosquito Coil and Insecticides
  14. Motor Cars
  15. Noodles and Pasta
  16. Polymers (Plastics and Plastic Products)
  17. Poultry
  18. Rice
  19. Soaps and Detergents
  20. Soft Drink
  21. Sugar
  22. Tripe (Guts, bladders and stomachs of animals)

Ghanaian musician begs Akufo-Addo to do something about import duties

In a separate story, YEN.com.gh reported that singer Wendy Shay, in a tweet, begged the president of the Republic of Ghana to address the extreme cost of import duties in the country.

The musician lamented that import duties in the country were too much, especially on vehicles.

Many Ghanaians agreed with her assertion, stating that they have had such experiences when importing goods to Ghana,

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Ghana bans importation of second-hand TV sets, fridges and 17 other electrical appliances

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported in the past that the Energy Commission announced new regulations that ban the importation of 19 electrical appliances deemed substandard.

The regulations came into force on November 2, 2022, however, the Commission said it will allow for a one-year grace period to allow for market adjustment.

The policy, the Commission explained in a statement on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, is to prevent the excess energy demand that these second-hand imported electrical appliances put on Ghana.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
George Nyavor avatar

George Nyavor (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) George Nyavor writes for YEN.com.gh. He has been Head of the Politics and Current Affairs Desk since 2022. George has over 9 years of experience in managing media and communications (Myjoyonline and GhanaWeb). George is a member of the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners Ghana (CAMP-G). He obtained a BA in Communications Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2010. Reach out to him via george.nyavor@yen.com.gh.