Minister of Trade and Industry Kovina Tahir-Hammond says she has been betrayed by the parliamentary minority over the enactment of the Legislative Instrument (LI), which restricts imports of some strategic products.
said in an interview with joy newsEvans-Mensah noted on Monday, November 27, that Hammond had reached an agreement with the minority party to create a LI that would restrict the import of 22 items.
“At that meeting chaired by Dominique Aine, I say to you today, they [the Subsidiary Committee] Added snippets… Their concerns were with several items posted on LI. “The conclusion was that, subject to these proposals that they had put forward, they were very satisfied,” he said.
After reading the committee’s report, he said the committee had “no reason to believe that the two draft regulations are not within the standards set out in Article 11, Section 7 of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Congress.” He said he had come to a conclusion.
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According to him, based on the above conclusion, he proceeded to introduce the LI in the House of Commons, arguing that it was “duplicity” on the part of the minority leader to oppose it.
“You’d be upset and think they were stabbing you in the back at the end of the day,” he added.
When asked if he had really been stabbed in the back, he replied, “Yes.”
Rep. Adansi Asokwa said this was because the regulation was enacted on the basis of a substantive law passed by Parliament, so it was not envisaged that the LI would be tabled before the House. But he agreed to go with the flow, even though he thought it made no sense.
“The minister has produced a document that refers to relief in the High Court. Parliament does not have the power to adjudicate,” he said.
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Meanwhile, six business organizations have submitted a petition asking Congress to reject the import restriction bill proposed by the government through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
A Joint Business Consultative Forum comprising the Ghana Federation of Trade Associations (GUTA), the Food and Beverage Association of Ghana (FABAG), the Ghana Export and Import Association, the Ghana Freight Forwarders Association (GIFF) and the Ghana Chamber of Automotive Dealers (CADEG). and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) argue that the bill, if enacted, will have a negative impact on their businesses.
The Sunday, Nov. 26 petition outlines concerns that the bill could negatively impact the price of goods, disrupt the free flow of goods and harm businesses.
The Minister of International Trade and Industry is aiming to pass a restriction (LI) on the import of some strategic products.
The 22 items subject to import restrictions are as follows.
- rice
- Animal intestines, bladder, and stomach (internal organs)
- poultry
- animal and vegetable oils
- margarine
- fruit juice
- Soft drink
- Mineral water
- noodles and pasta
- ceramic tiles
- Cardboard/Paperboard
- Mosquito coils and insecticides
- soap and detergent
- motor car
- steel
- cement
- Polymers (plastics and plastic products)
- fish
- sugar
- clothing and apparel
- biscuit
- canned tomatoes
But the minority has thrice thwarted plans to impose regulations it says it strongly opposes, particularly because they would have given unlimited powers to the trade minister.
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