The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has bemoaned the lack of effective implementation of key government policies and their impact on the operations of businesses in the country.
Citing the deregulation policy and fertilizer subsidy program as examples, the Association believes the government needs to sit up so the key policies can achieve their intended purposes.
Dr. Ayim-Darke was speaking at a conference organized by his outfit which sought to bring parliamentarians and industry players to have a discourse on how to work together to move the country forward.
The event was under the theme, ‘Promoting Ghana’s industrial development agenda: The role of Parliament’.
“Policies are good. However, if you take your eyes off the implementation and the feedback mechanism that helps you to perfect a policy intervention, you will have big problems. And I’ve given examples of what is happening in the NPA through that deregulation sector. A similar thing happened in the agric sector. We were deprived of the impact of GHS3 billion with the fertilizer subsidy program. From the aggregation stage to the storage stage to one district, one factory, we heard of how many paddy rice and soybean and cashew nut were exported in the primary stage.”
“Our cry is that policies from Ghana are good. But the implementation of policies and feedback mechanisms to correct the wrongs have been our challenge. If this is looked at carefully within the shortest possible time, will help us correct the structural issues that are militating on this inflationary basket at this stage.”
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu on his part, however, explained what goes into the implementation of a policy.
“Who fashions the policy? It comes back to the quality of materials we have in the cabinet. It is cabinet that has the responsibility to evolve policy. Then the policy will come to parliament just for us to see whether the programs fit into the policy of the government. But the policy itself is determined by the ruling party.”
Other panellists at the event included MP for Ellembelle and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Director of ISSER, Prof. Peter Quartey, and the CEO of Tropical Cable & Conductor Limited and Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Dr. Tony Oteng Gyasi.
