By: Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to intensify the fight against smuggling, under-declaration, counterfeit goods and the re-bagging of inferior products, describing the practices as economic sabotage that threatens Ghana’s industrial future.
Speaking at the Presidential Dialogue with the Private Sector in Accra, he stressed that trade infractions would no longer be treated as minor regulatory breaches but as serious economic crimes that undermine local businesses, destroy jobs and deprive the state of critical revenue.
According to the President, the influx of smuggled and fake goods continues to distort the domestic market, making it difficult for genuine manufacturers to compete fairly. He noted that when companies evade duties through under-declaration or flood the market with substandard products, compliant businesses suffer losses while government revenue declines.
To address the challenge, President Mahama announced a coordinated national response involving strengthened border enforcement, closer collaboration between customs, security agencies and regulatory bodies, and the deployment of technology-driven surveillance systems to track imports and reduce revenue leakages. He also warned that public officials found complicit in facilitating illegal trade practices would face prosecution.
The President further pledged strict enforcement of product standards and quality controls to prevent the re-packaging and circulation of inferior goods. He emphasized that Ghana’s ambition to build a competitive industrial base cannot succeed if local industries are left vulnerable to unfair trade practices.
He assured the private sector that government is determined to create a level playing field where law-abiding businesses can thrive, invest and expand production.
“We cannot ask our manufacturers to scale up while we allow the market to be undermined by illegality,” he indicated, adding that protecting local industries is central to Ghana’s broader industrial transformation agenda.
