The Minister nominee for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen says government is on course with the industrialization plan to help reduce the huge importation of consumables into Ghana.
He said for instance, Ghana spends almost one billion dollars importing sugar, rice and poultry products annually.
This, he noted, is unacceptable particularly when the country has the capacity to produce those commodities locally.
Responding to questions when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr Kyerematen said he intends to reduce the high import burden on Ghana and that the government is taking steps and initiatives to stop the practice.
He said the high import burden necessitated government’s decision to launch the One-District-One-Factory initiative as a way of enhancing Ghana’s capacity to self-produce many of its commodities, both for import-substitution and export purposes.
On the issue of helping small businesses to grow, he noted that government has so far established 37 business resource centres across Ghana to offer business solutions to start ups, saying 30 of such centres will be established in the course of the year.
This would help build the capacities of small scale businesses to become more competitive.
