The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan says the timing and structure of the Export and Import Regulations 2023 which is currently before Parliament is problematic.

According to him, government has not set up enough factories to locally produce the 22 strategic goods proposed to be restricted.

Mr. Ricketts-Hagan argues that with the Christmas season fast approaching, market women and traders will also take advantage of the situation to increase prices.

“The issue here is whether we should go for a ban or restriction as they call it now when we have not actually made adequate provision in terms of import substitution. This is what this whole thing is about, it is import substitution therefore if you are not going to bring something into your country and there is a demand for it, is there ways of you yourself producing these things?

"If you don’t scale up production, you are going to create chaos. First and foremost, there will be unnecessary shortage and that will drive prices up and getting to Christmas it is even wrong timing to contemplate such a thing. If you want to do this, look at the following year or something but even that a lot of work needs to be done," he explained.

Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews, the Cape Coast South MP stressed that the excessive powers granted to the Minister of Trade through the L.I may lead to monopolization and corruption.

"They call it an import permit but we call it an import license. We know the name from the 60s and 70s. Corruption, coup detate all came as a result of these things. At the end of the day, the goods are going to find their way here through Togo and other places by road.

"We are going to have problems at our borders where a lot of corruption will be taking place, things will be coming into this country and now we need to set up special taskforces to go and stop people.

"I mean why do you want to create problems with the already burdensome economy that we have?" Mr. Ricketts–Hagan quizzed.