Food and Beverage Association Chairman John Awuni said the government’s decision to ban the import of some staple foods was insensitive.
He said the government should have done due diligence before deciding to implement such a policy, including ensuring that the foods it was banning were produced in the country.
In an interview with joy newshe said, “I have to say this is very unacceptable. Maybe it’s some kind of evil that you unleashed on the people because the country is not ready for this.” not.
“If the country is ready for that, we’ll all clap our hands and rejoice. As a technologist, I want to see this country building the blocks towards this. But you don’t wake up early one morning and exercise this level of insensitivity against your people.”
His comments come as the government moves to restrict imports of so-called strategic products, including rice, fruit juice, tripe, fish, cement and 17 other items.
In this regard, the Chairperson said that before the administration decides to pursue such a policy, there is a need to ensure that the country has local produce that can be stored for at least three years to prevent food shortages.
βUsing rice as an example, the government should have kept local stocks in warehouses that would cover about three years before formulating the policies it would implement. We are producing and have enough inventory to last for at least three years,β he stressed.
Lord Mensah, an associate professor at the University of Ghana Business School, said he doubted whether the plan would be implemented successfully.
“So, from where I sit, it’s appropriate to (re-evaluate) the timing and whether or not you should prioritize it, because if you’re going to consume things like fruit juices, if you’re going to consume things like fruit juices, you’re going to have to So, if you look at our livestock market, do we have enough livestock to meet domestic demand? So something like this “I think it’s too early or premature to withdraw LI and impose restrictions,” he declared.
He added that he is not sure if the government is willing to implement the policy and work hard to ensure the country’s self-sufficiency before the policy is fully implemented. However, he said, “I still don’t believe in this delivery.”
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