Member of the Trade Committee of Parliament, Yusif Sulemana, has expressed fear about the repercussions of the import restriction regulation if it is passed in its current state.

Trade Minister K. T. Hammond has, on multiple occasions, faced strong resistance in his attempts to lay it before Parliament.

The L.I means the Minister will be charged with the authority to allow or disallow the importation of some 24 items, including poultry, rice, sugar, diapers, and tripe (yemuadie).

Speaking on AM Show on Thursday, Yusif Sulemana says this modality is a recipe for corruption.

The Bole MP insists that the Trade Minister’s refusal to consult the Trade Committee in parliament to make significant changes makes the process even more suspicious.

“If you look at Section 13 of it, is the only person who has the right to give a permit, granted permit or to refuse a permit, even though he's going to set up 11 member community. And that 11-member committee, he is the one to appoint all of them. And that 11-member committee, 4 of them form a quorum to be able to make decisions.

“Now that committee is just an advisory committee. After they have gone to the applications and made their recommendations to him, the minister can decide to say, I will take your recommendations.

"If you say I shouldn't give, I will give if you say I should give for this particular person, I wouldn't give. Clearly, there's no need even setting up that committee. And so we were saying that is going to give you so much powers, and once you have such powers, the next thing is corruption.”

According to Sulemana, this bill aside from breeding orruption, will leave consumers in a compromising position as businesses may pass on costs incurred during the application process down to them.