Minister for Finance, Hon Ken Ofori-Atta has held a stakeholders meeting with the President and some members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to deliberate on issues affecting the manufacturing industry in the country.
The Minister in his welcome statement noted that meeting of such nature affords the Government the opportunity to have first-hand information on how its policies and programmes were felt by the very people they were intended for.
He added that the Government had initiated a number of policies and social interventions that would in the not too distant future turn the Ghanaian economy into an export led economy that thrived on vibrant manufacturing industry.
“Government has keen interest in creating channels and recognizes social collaboration as a vehicle for structural change and the Ministry of Finance promises to be the cutting edge of the structural change going forward”. Mr. Ofori-Atta stated.
Ghana’s current account, the Minister regretted was not sustainable hence, the need for engagement with the private sector on how to change the narrative from import economy to import substitution one.
The President of the Association of Ghana Industries, Mr. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi after expression his gratitude for such open and frank platform for deliberation, noted that it was expedient for Government’s policies to cater for the local content.
The President, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Danadams Pharmaceuticals, further lamented the situation where expatriate drivers where brought to drive trucks for companies working in Ghana to the neglect of Ghanaian workers.
“During bilateral agreements with other nations, do well to factor the local content issue in such contracts so it becomes binding and prevents the other parties from securing services elsewhere” Mr. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi advised.
Advocating against policies that retard the growth and development of industries, Mr. Adu-Gyamfi called on government to reconsider the reduction in Benchmark value of import duties by 50 percent at all of the country’s ports.
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is a voluntary business association of over 1200 members.