Why should we be importing 'yemuadie'? - Dan Kwaku Yeboah backs govt's importation restriction bill

Speaking on Peace FM, Dan Kwaku Yeboah believed that the policy will empower local industries and ensure that Ghana charts a path towards self-sufficiency and local production of essential items.

He expressed dissatisfaction regarding Ghana's import of offal locally known as 'yemuadie'.

Dan Kwaku Yeboah holds that there are Ghanaian farmers who can produce the meat when given the required equipment to work with.

Venting his disappointment on Peace FM, he said industrialisation in Ghana started back in the 60s and that he cannot phantom why the country relies heavily on imports in the modern age.

He said Ghanaian first President Kwame Nkrumah opened industries and equipped Ghanaians to produce their good in an attempt to reduce imports.

"Why would we import 'yemuadie'? There are certain things we need to ban. We are importing yemuadie for what? Why should this country import everything? There are certain things we should be forced to do in local production."

"During Nkrumah's time, according to the history of Ghana. When he opened the canned beef factory, Ghanaians complained that they don't like the Ghana-made canned beef. He got angry and banned canned beef importation."

"If we don't do that the country will not develop."

He then quizzed why the country should get to the point where it imports everything including offals.

"God has given us the resources. So why don't we ban it and produce it over here? Are there no farmers in this country that we can resource them to produce yemuadie?"

"In some of the documentaries after Nkrumah, they assembled cars in Ghana in the 1960s...We are declining in terms of production. Weren't we producing Bonsa tires? But today, we import even fireticks. There are certains we need to ban else we won't develop."

The Government of Ghana has meanwhile suspended the laying of the controversial Legislative Instrument seeking to restrict the importation of at least 22 items.

The L.I. (Import Restriction Bill) seeks to compel importers of the 22 restricted items, including poultry, rice, sugar, diapers and animal entrails to seek licences from a committee to be set up by the Trade Minister.

Below are the list of 22 items considered for import restriction:

Rice

Guts, bladders and stomachs of animals

Poultry

Animal and vegetable oil

Margarine

Fruit juices

Soft drink

Mineral water

Noodles and pasta

Ceramic tiles

Corrugated paper and paper board

Mosquito coil and insecticides

Soaps and detergents

Motor cars

Iron and steel

Cement

Polymers (Plastics and Plastic Products)

Fish

Sugar

Clothing and apparel

Biscuits

Canned tomatoes

EE/EK