Responding to questions from the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr Hammond stated that cabinet had discussed the issue of import substitutions for some of these products.
“It has been decided at that level that we should look at 50 specific areas where it is important to look at the issue of import substitution,” he asserted.
“I thought this was a little bit of a scandal, but a committee was put together and a decision has been made that we should, as a country, seriously consider as much as possible to institute some policies to ensure that we have some substitution for some of these items,” he said.
The minister designate said he also discovered that some people smuggled rice into the country, asserting that if one subtracts how much is produced locally from how much the nation consumes, there is a gap of approximately 600 metric tons that have been consumed but not accounted for through the system.
In addition, the government believes that there should be some sanity in the system when it comes to used vehicles, clothing, and other items, he stated, and added, “I have a very clear view in my own mind on what should be done
He revealed that cabinet had already taken clear decisions on what should be done in the area of import substitution at the textile front, intimating that Juapong Textile Company and Akosombo Textile Company have almost collapsed.
“The committee has been tasked to ensure that whatever is immediately available, financially possible and reasonable should be done by those responsible – especially the Ministry of Trade to ensure that these companies are brought back to life,” he said.