Import licenses will increase cost of trade unnecessarily – Asaki Awingobit
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana says the introduction of an import license policy will only add to the bureaucracy and cost of doing business in Ghana.
Their concern follows calls by the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF) that such a policy is needed to regulate the imports that come into the country.
According to the importers and exporters, the requirement of certain licenses are already needed before one can import goods into the country.
There have been growing calls from various stakeholders on the need to cut down on importation especially amidst the country’s current economic challenges.
However in an interview with Citi Business News, General Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, Sampson Asaki Awingobit said the introduction of such a license will rather go against the ease of doing business in Ghana.
“We already have a several importations that you need license to venture into. i.e., when you are bringing in Food into the country you will need permits from FDA, standards authority among others so we go through all these to get permits so I don’t know why they want government to introduce licenses to further entrench the bureaucracies” Mr. Awingobit said.
He also noted that the existing bureaucracies place Ghana at a disadvantaged position in the global list of countries with high barriers to trade and the introduction of another layer of bureaucracy will only worsen the situation.
Source: Ghana Business
