By Savannah Pokuaah Duah
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Seth Twum-Akwaboah,has emphasized the critical need for collaboration among government institutions to address challenges facing Ghanaian industries, particularly the influx of unfairly priced imported goods.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show on Thursday, January 23, 2025, Mr. Twum-Akwaboah outlined the AGI’s expectations for the John Mahama government, focusing on practical solutions to boost local manufacturing.
Mr. Twum-Akwaboah began by stressing the power of collaboration: “We’ve mentioned a lot of the challenges, and we think that collaboration between the various government institutions is key in achieving some of these results.” He stated that many challenges could be resolved without significant financial investment. “And sometimes you’d be surprised that we don’t need so much money to resolve some of our problems, it is just putting our minds to it and making sure we make it work.”
He then highlighted a pressing concern for local businesses, “One challenge that industries have is that there’s an influx of products that are entering our market unfairly.” He explained that some imported goods are priced so low that it raises suspicion of tax evasion and unfair trade practices. “Some of the products are traded as international products, they are international commodity products, so you can easily find the prices. So you can’t bring those raw materials in, add value, and do all the things, and then produce below a certain cost price.”
Mr. Twum-Akwaboah described the impact on local businesses, “Some products come in and they are ridiculously low, and you wonder why it is so. Clearly, they have managed to dodge the taxes, they may not have paid the right duties and the VAT and all that. They are able to enter the market, and the products are being sold cheaply, so you can’t compete with them. And there are several products of that nature,” he complained.
He then proposed a collaborative solution involving multiple agencies. He explained, “So if that alone can be referenced and say, I’m working with GRE, I’m working with the POTS, I’m working with AGI to identify these products that our members have challenges with, and police it. That alone doesn’t require any money. You can make a big boost to the industry.”
