Govt to mandate local procurement for State agencies – Ato Forson

The government through the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced plans to revolve a policy that will require all state agencies to secure some vital goods only from local producers.

Dr. Forson verbalized concerns about the country’s continued importation of primary goods, such as sugar and rice, notwithstanding having the capacity to produce them domestically.

Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) held to strengthen the country’s industrial sector, create jobs, and reduce dependency on imports.

Dr. Forson noted that, in other to support our local industries, the government will soon publish a list of items that all public sector agencies must procure locally. This will ensure that government procurement serves as a tool to develop our industries, adding that “Going forward, any government procurement from outside Ghana will require special approval from the Office of the President”.

He also underscored the pressing need to curb the smuggling of goods, which he said is crippling local businesses.

The minister further revealed that the government has discovered key smuggling routes and will soon enunciate stringent measures to stop the inflow of smuggled goods that unfairly contend with locally manufactured products.

As part of the broader industrial strategy, Dr. Forson called for a working session with industry leaders to explore how local businesses can actively participate in the government’s 24-hour economy programme to drive production and economic expansion.

The President of the Association of Ghana Industries, Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke, received the government’s allegiance to supporting local industries. He criticized the minister’s budget policies and expressed optimism that continued engagement between government and industry would lead to tangible improvements in Ghana’s industrial sector.

The upcoming mandatory local procurement policy is expected to provide a significant boost to Ghanaian manufacturers, ensuring that government spending contributes directly to the growth of local businesses and the expansion of the national economy.