OUR INDUSTRIES NEED HELP (JAN 16)

THE Mills administration this week engaged captains of industry and commerce to affirm its commitment to the NDC’s campaign pledge to empower local industries to create wealth and jobs in the country.
First, it was the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, who, on Tuesday, graced the Unilever dinner for its Key Business Contacts at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra where he outlined measures that the NDC administration would put in place to re-energise trade and industry.
Then on Wednesday President J.E.A. Mills promised to tackle the problem of unemployment in the country in fulfilment of a pledge he made to the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) during the electioneering.
These are clear signals by the new regime to tackle the unemployment problem head on. More jobs and wealth can only be created through the productive activities of the industrial sector.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that Ghanaian industries that are struggling to stand on their feet can do better if locally produced goods are made competitive. Presently, local industries are confronted with many problems, such as obsolete equipment, the high cost of raw materials and the dumping of cheap imports on our markets.
We are encouraged that the new government has identified the problems confronting our economy and has drawn plans, in partnership with the relevant stakeholders, to resolve them.
The concern of many Ghanaians, particularly captains of industry, is the unbridled liberalisation policy which gives room for the importation of all kinds of items, such as toothpick and second-hand products. Over the years, the state abdicated its regulatory mandate, such that no strategic measures were put in place to protect the national interest.
Our faith in the free market system will make Western capitalists twitch because the state has even surrendered its role of policy formulation to guide the operations of local entrepreneurs.
It is a pity that through our collective action or inaction we have allowed once very vibrant local industries to collapse or be on their knees struggling to break even.
We cannot afford to import all kinds of second-hand items, such as cooking utensils, underwear, brassiere, foam mattresses, handkerchiefs, towels, fridges and drinking glasses, and thus reduce ourselves to what one local commentator described as our being “clothed in other people’s rags”.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is conscious of the challenges posed by any move by the government to protect our local industries. The people must be prepared to pay the extra cost of protectionism.
But there are opportunities that will also come with such a move because as our local industries grow, they can offer more jobs to the youth and stimulate wealth creation and prosperity for all.
The DAILY GRAPHIC encourages the Mills administration to create a business environment in which our local industries will lead the crusade for economic stabilisation and subsequent growth.
We equally appeal to the AGI and other business associations to reciprocate whatever policy interventions that will be put in place by the government to increase productivity and generate the impetus for social transformation.