By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Feb 23, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated that the Government will intensify coordinated border enforcement as part of efforts to curb smuggling of goods.
He said smuggling, under declaration, counterfeit goods and re-bagging of inferior products were not minor infractions; declaring that they constitute economic sabotage.
“To stem this tide and protect our fledgling manufacturing sector, we will intensify coordinated border enforcement, treat trade infractions as economic crimes, dismiss and prosecute public officers found culpable, deploy technology-driven custom surveillance solutions, and rigorously enforce product standards,” the President remarked in his opening address at the maiden Presidential Dialogue in Accra.
He said the Government was determined to protect Ghanaian enterprises so they could thrive and grow.
He noted that industrialization required secure land tenure and protection of agricultural resources.
“In this regard, we will accelerate litigation-free industrial land banks, reform land tenure to support commercial contract farming, strengthen action against illegal mining and sand winning, expand irrigation systems, and invest in storage and cold chain infrastructure,” President Mahama said.
“Land reform is absolutely essential for our economic transformation. Sector-specific actions that we need to take in textiles and government industry, enforcement against counterfeit fabrics, tax exemptions on machinery and inputs, mandatory local procurement compliance, and with the agri-processing sector, commercial contract farming frameworks, expanded irrigation, post-harvest infrastructure for preservation and storage, fast-tracked agro-industrial land allocation.”
President Mahama said for pharmaceuticals, Incentives for local Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production, active ingredient production, stronger border enforcement against smuggled drugs, support for World Health Organisation (WHO) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliance.
He said with the cement industry, enforcement of LI2491, promotion of local clinker and other component production, resolution of port constraints in terms of discharge and logistical handling, and crackdown on re-bagging of inferior cement.
President Mahama said with iron and steel, border enforcement against smuggled steel, Value Added Tax (VAT) compliance in scrap supply chains, tax exemption on plants and machinery, integrated value chain strategy, and ban on ferrous and non-ferrous scrap material.
He said for food and beverages, stronger port enforcement, cold chain investments, and local raw material substitution.
Adding that for automotive industry, enforcement of age and quality standards, fiscal incentives for localization, affordable vehicle financing schemes, and regional market expansion under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba