By Ewurabena Paha
The Minority in Parliament says its hands are tied in its quest to stop the Government from passing into law, a Bill to stop the importation of certain items into the country.
According to them, the Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond is currently breaking all the rules in order to lay the L.I on the Bill before the House.
Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, at a media briefing in Accra said the Caucus with its numbers in Parliament will be unable to overturn the Bill when passed and therefore is calling on CSO’s to join forces with the Caucus to amplify the need for the quashing of the Bill.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T Hammond in October announced the stoppage of certain items, including rice, oil, and some toiletries, among others, into the country. The move the Ministry explained will stabilize the cedi and strengthen local manufacturing companies. The announcement of this move has been rejected by organizations such as the Beverages Association of Ghana and GUTA. In their view, it will further make the business environment hostile. At a news conference addressed by the minority leader in Accra, Dr. Ato Forson, the fight to stop the government from passing that bill cannot be won by the NDC alone. It therefore, extends forces to CSO’s and religious organizations to assist the NDC to stop the passage of the Bill.
Dr. Forson said the law, if passed, prices of certain basic needs such as sugar will sour because the level of production of such items in Ghana is low. He said the party is not against the restriction of imported goods into the country but it disagrees with the mode by which the government intends to carry out the move.
The Caucus urged the media to support the side to stop the passage of the bill they termed “kalabule”.
