The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is calling on the government to speed up its trade facilitation reforms and support local industry to build quality standards and local production capacity for export.
According to the AGI, multiple intermediaries within the port clearance system, such as West Blue Consulting, GCNet, GRA, UNIPASS, Easypass, among others defeat the country’s trade facilitation efforts.
Currently, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) agreement further open up the country’s market to Europe and the rest of Africa under the duty-free quota-free regime.
According to the President of the Association, Dr Yaw Adu-Gyamfi “Considering the impact on Ghana’s revenue prospects, it is expedient for government to give local industries the needed support such as stimulus packages in order to give meaning to these trade agreements that usher Ghana into the single African market.”
On his part, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Ghanaian Industries, Seth Twum-Akwaboah has urged the government to put some policy measures in place to ensure that the country benefits a great deal from the recently signed agreement.
He said, “It is a development that has two sides. It has a positive side and it can possibly have a negative side. In an integration process, there are always winners and losers. And the bigger question we should ask ourselves as Ghanaians is that are we going to be a winner or a loser? The way to become a winner is that you increase and improve your productive capacity so that as others are exporting to your market, you are also able to export to others’ market.”
Mr Twum-Akwaboah believes developing the country’s capacity and ensuring a competitive business environment can put the country in the best position to make more gain.
He also urged the government to ensure improvement in technology, availability of raw material base to supply factories and in general, ensure that the agricultural dynamics work well.
In response to how the AGI is levering this trade agreement to thrive, the AGI CEO said, “We strongly believe in the 1D1F concept. Because the principle is that create as many factories as possible, go to the districts that you have peculiar products, have a factory to process it. So it means that you’re raising your manufacturing capacities.”
Source:Myjoyonline