Three local industries have petitioned the government through the Ghana International Trade Commission over alleged unfair trade practices from their foreign counterparts.
The industries, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana, the Association of Biscuit Manufacturers and the Steel Manufacturers Association of Ghana, have petitioned the state to take urgent steps to secure their businesses from collapsing as a result of unfair trade practices including dumping, price undercutting, among others.
They have also requested the government to take a second look at it’s decision to slash import duties especially on imported products with local substitutes.
Managing Director of Aluworks Kwasi Okoh noted in an interview with Accra based Class FM mentioned that the cut in import duties especially on goods that are also produced by local industries is having a negative toll on local manufacturers.
Mr Okoh said: “Industries in Ghana are dying, everything that is happening is hurting the industries. Very recently they’ve introduced what they call benchmarking, what it says is that, import duties has reduced for importers”.
“If you reduce the duty, what it says is that you can get cheaper prices at the market and yet the local manufacturer doesn’t get that advantage so he’ll be killed”.
According to the Managing Director of Aluworks, if duties on cars which are not manufactured in Ghana is reduced, then it will be economically fair to also reduce taxes on locally manufactured products.
