The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG) has urged the government to eliminate all duties on essential commodities imported into the country.
This appeal comes in response to growing concerns about food insecurity, particularly due to the ongoing drought in northern Ghana, and recent developments in Nigeria, where the government has removed duties on essential food items.
Nigeria’s decision to implement a duty-free policy on imported food items is part of its Presidential Accelerated and Stabilisation Advancement Plan, which aims to curb rising food inflation. FABAG believes that Ghana should adopt a similar approach.
The association is advocating for the removal of duties on essential items such as rice, maize, and oil. This measure is expected to ease the financial burden on households, enhance food accessibility, and mitigate the negative impact of malnutrition on vulnerable populations.
John Awuni, Executive Chairman of FABAG, has called on the government to prioritize the removal of these duties as a means to improve the standard of living for Ghanaians.
“Let them be encouraged to take such a similar measure, remove the import duties on essential food items, allow same goods to be imported into the country, protect the goods from being re-exported, and then it will lead to a drastic reduction in food items, particularly essential food items in the market.
“Because as it is now, the rate at which prices are increasing, the market is just very unbearable. They are really very biting and have a very critical effect on the incomes and the lives of people. The cost of living is going so very much.”
