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GIPC law 2013 has outlived its usefulness, needs review – Ahomka-Lindsay
Former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Robert Ahomka-Lindsay has suggested that the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Law 2013 be reviewed, arguing that it has outlived its usefulness.
The law [Act 271] bars foreigners from engaging in some trade or enterprises reserved for Ghanaians.The Ghana Statistical Service in its inaugural Trade Vulnerability Report said Ghana faced a notable trade imbalance in 2022.
The report reveals that the country’s imports exceeded its exports by GH₵4.5 billion, underscoring a significant economic challenge.
Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Mr Ahomka-Lindsay said, “To be honest with you, the GIPC 2013 law has outlived its usefulness and needs to be reviewed.
”The former deputy trade minister emphasized the need for the government to partner with investors to process Ghanaian products to enable Ghana compete on the international market, rather than allowing foreigners to trade in products meant for locals.
He cited the Chinese and Americans as examples of countries that know their trade needs and are working to beat competition, while Ghana seems to be shut out of the trade market.
Mr Ahomka-Lindsay, therefore, charged the government to spell out its trade needs so that its laws and regulations can reflect them.“Part of the challenge we have is that, we have not defined very clearly what we want, and reflected our laws and regulations to them.
The Chinese, Americans, and Asians know what they want, and when they don’t get it, they close the border. If we as Ghanaians say that we want bread producers because we can’t do it, I don’t believe we lack the capacity to manufacture all the inputs to consume bread in Ghana.
We have lots of cocoa beans which we don’t know how to process, so let’s get FDI to come and set up a processing factory in Ghana.”GIPC law 2013 has outlived its usefulness, needs review – Hookah-Lindsay by Leticia Osei August 17, 2023 Reading Time: 2 mins read
Former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Robert Ahomka-Lindsay has suggested that the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Law 2013 be reviewed, arguing that it has outlived its usefulness.
The law [Act 271] bars foreigners from engaging in some trade or enterprises reserved for Ghanaians.
The Ghana Statistical Service in its inaugural Trade Vulnerability Report said Ghana faced a notable trade imbalance in 2022.
The report reveals that the country’s imports exceeded its exports by GH₵4.5 billion, underscoring a significant economic challenge.Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Mr Ahomka-Lindsay said, “To be honest with you, the GIPC 2013 law has outlived its usefulness and needs to be reviewed.
”The former deputy trade minister emphasized the need for the government to partner with investors to process Ghanaian products to enable Ghana compete on the international market, rather than allowing foreigners to trade in products meant for locals.
He cited the Chinese and Americans as examples of countries that know their trade needs and are working to beat competition, while Ghana seems to be shut out of the trade market.
Mr Ahomka-Lindsay, therefore, charged the government to spell out its trade needs so that its laws and regulations can reflect them.
“Part of the challenge we have is that, we have not defined very clearly what we want, and reflected our laws and regulations to them. The Chinese, Americans, and Asians know what they want, and when they don’t get it, they close the border. If we as Ghanaians say that we want bread producers because we can’t do it, I don’t believe we lack the capacity to manufacture all the inputs to consume bread in Ghana. We have lots of cocoa beans which we don’t know how to process, so let’s get FDI to come and set up a processing factory in Ghana.”
“You want Foreign Direct Investors to come and refine your products for you, you want FDI to add value to what you already have because you want to increase the total value of your exports in cocoa.
FDI should be designed in what you desire in our economy”.
He bemoaned that Ghanaian some businesses are struggling to compete because they have not added value to their products.
“80 percent of our businesses have no value-added, how do you compete?” he asked.
Asked if Ghana’s economy is over-liberalised, he said, “The challenge we have is that we have wrong priorities.”
Source: Citinewsroom.com
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
