Former president John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) flag bearer, has announced that when voted into power, his government will create an accelerated export development programme.
Mr Mahama said he, as president, would personally chair that programme while stakeholders in maritime and port would have representatives on it.
The NDC leader said this when he met and interacted with industry players in the maritime and port industries, such as the Importer and Exporters Association of Ghana, the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, and port workers, among others.
He said the accelerated export development programme would look at factors that could make it easier for exporters to export their products so that it encourages more exports, as the country needs to balance its trade between imports and exports.
‘If more exports go out, it will bring more dollars that will balance out the dollars we have to send out,’ he said.
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er president further said that in the imports sector, NDC was thinking of developing a transit terminal for the landlocked countries on the country’s northern border to enable their containers to be transported there directly.
He said, ‘It makes it easier for them to take their containers from there instead of bringing their trucks and hauling their containers all the way. If we have the resources, it will be good to build a rail line to service that terminal. So that as soon as their containers arrive, we just put them on the rail, and it takes them through the destination.’
Mr Mahama further said he will also licence financial companies and non-banking financial institutions to help importers, explaining that if their containers arrive at the port and they are unable to come up with the needed money to immediately clear the goods, they could then fall on these companies through an agreement for a short-term loan facility.
‘When your container comes, they will pay for it and move it to a special location.
So, the government will receive its money, GPHA, and the freight forwarders will all have been paid; the owner of the container will now work with that company and take his container and things,’ he explained.
The NDC flagbearer, however, added that the government will regulate their interests to prevent the companies from taking advantage of the importers.
Source: Ghana News Agency
