Buyer-seller fair comes off in December
New trade draft bill for Cabinet's consideration
Bonsa Tyre Company for divestiture
Buyer-seller fair comes off in December
Accra (Greater Accra) 1 Nov. '99
The Ministry of Trade and Industry and the private sector will organise a "buyer-seller fair" in December to expose procurement officers and the public to Made-in-Ghana goods.
This is to conscientise Ghanaians to patronise locally produced goods.
In order to sustain the public interest, the two parties also plan to hold the fair yearly and to have a permanent hall for Ghanaian products and to feature newly produced goods periodically.
Dr John Frank Abu, Minister of Trade and Industry, announced this on Friday, when he answered questions in Parliament on specific programmes of his Ministry to conscientise Ghanaians, who are accustomed to foreign-made goods, to patronise locally produced ones.
The question stood in the name of Mr Samuel K. Akwetey, NDC-Suhum. Dr Abu told the House that the Ministry has programmed to promote Made-in-Ghana goods through advertisements, market information, exhibitions and fairs at the district, regional and national levels.
He said the promotion of locally produced goods is one of the key issues that have constantly come up at a quarterly joint consultative meeting, instituted last year, between the Ministry and the private sector.
Dr Abu said in support of this cause, Cabinet, two months ago, approved the Ministry's policy on procurement of Made-in-Ghana goods by public sector institutions as announced by the President in his sessional address to Parliament in January, this year.
He said under this programme, all ministries, departments and agencies (MDA's), would be required to source their purchase and services from local industries, first.
This is a key promotional strategy for goods produced in the country and will greatly boost the productivity of local industries.
He said the committee made up of government and private sector institutions has been constituted to facilitate and ensure adherence to the policy of patronising made in Ghana goods.
Dr Abu said the Ministry has already organised meetings between government procurement officers and the private sector to set the right tone for the take off of the programme.
The Minister stressed that Ghanaian industries have responded positively to the international challenges on quality, saying "our products generally, compare well to foreign ones and are well respected on the international markets".
"Mr Speaker, I wish to assure the House that the government and the private sector institutions will continue to support, patronise and generate more interest in locally-made goods, through seminars, publicity and consumer education", he added.
GRi../
New trade draft bill for Cabinet's consideration
Accra (Greater Accra) 1 Nov '99
A new drat bill, which seeks to ensure fair trade and competitiveness in Ghana's liberalised policy is to be submitted to the cabinet soon.
Dr John Frank Abu, Minister of Trade and Industry told Parliament on Friday that the existing trade regulations do not adequately respond to the dynamism of globalisation and competitiveness with the advent of Ghana's market-oriented reforms.
Dr Abu said the "Competition and Fair Trade Practices Bill", would be put before Parliament after cabinet's approval.
He described the bill as a "complex and comprehensive document", adding it has received international technical support, particularly from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Mr George Buadi, (NDC-Amenfi East), had asked the Minister whether the sector Ministry has a policy to ensure fair trade and business practices in the country, and if so, how is the policy being implemented.
Dr Abu said the bill would establish a Trade Practice Commissioner, deal with restrictive trade practices and control mergers and take-overs.
The bill will also control trade practices such as unfair advertisement, misrepresentation of goods and services, harassment and coercion, product safety and consumer protection, among other things.
The Minister hoped that the enforcement of the regulations, which would emerge from the bill, "will set a level playing field for a more vibrant private sector development in the country".
He noted that the country's market-oriented reforms and liberalisation of the economy, has accelerated the pace of trade and investment and heightened competition in all kinds of commercial activities.
Dr Abu told the House that it is the policy of the Ministry to protect the interest of consumers, and to ensure fair competition in all commercial activities.
This will be done through appropriate laws, regulations and their enforcement by appropriate institutions and agencies within or outside the Ministry.
GRi../
Bonsa Tyre Company for divestiture
Accra (Greater Accra) 1 Nov. '99
Dr John Frank Abu, Minister of Trade and Industry on Friday told Parliament that the Bonsa Tyre Company (BTC) in the Western Region is being repackaged to make it attractive to potential investors.
He spoke of current discussions between the Finance Ministry and the Divestiture Implementation Committee to reassess the company in a bid to salvage it.
The Minister has been asked whether he is aware that the delay in the divestiture of BTC is causing damage to the equipment, installed in 1994, with a loan from the African Development Bank?
Dr Abu said in response to a request by the government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), in 1990, approved a 30.7 million-dollar credit facility to rehabilitate the factory.
He said, however, that he is not aware of any identified damage caused to the equipment at the factory.
The Minister said in parallel with the rehabilitation of the BTC factory, the divestiture of the company was started in 1996, under the supervision of the DIC, adding that there have, however, been delays in getting the process concluded.
Dr Abu said the company, based at Bonsaso, was established in 1967 as a joint venture between the government and Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company of the United States.
Firestone, he said, later, pulled out and sold its shares to the government, making it the sole shareholder.
Dr Abu said BTC currently produces at five per cent capacity and that the government's main concern is to help the company to be repackaged for divestiture.
Asked whether it was a good investment to seek the ADB loan to revamp the company, which has not made any returns on the investment since 1990, Dr Abu replied: "At that time, privatisation had not got to the level we have now".
Reacting to a suggestion that the present difficulties facing the company was the result of the take over by the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR), Dr Abu said "I am not aware of any such event". Will it not be prudent for the company to be offered for free so that its operations would enable the government to raise revenue by way of taxes, instead of the present situation where the government gets nothing, queried a questioner.
Dr Abu responded: "I don't know whether the DIC will accept such a proposition".
GRi../