AGI calls for emergency meeting over challenges facing agriculture and industry

The AGI is calling for an emergency consultative meeting with all the relevant stakeholders particularly the Ministries of Food and Agriculture, Trade and Industries, Finance, and Environment and Innovation to brainstorm over critical challenges facing agriculture and industry.

The Vice Chairman of the AGI, Fatima Ali Mohammed, who made the call in an interview with Radio Ghana, expressed concern about the lack of education in the implementation of ECOWAS Customs Tariff, saying the agribusiness sector has not also made any inputs to the implementation of the tariffs, although some members of the sector are exporters.

According to Mrs. Ali Mohammed, the oil palm industry could collapse and wondered why imported palm oil should be cheaper than palm oil produced in Ghana. She said government officials may hold the view that the country's agriculture sector is doing well but she believes the sector can do better if the right policies are put in place and implemented efficiently.

On the facing out of the operations of Destination Inspection Companies by next month, Mrs. Ali Mohammed regretted that there is no clear cut way to monitor how loopholes could be eliminated in the absence of the DIC's since under invoicing and under declaration could flourish causing huge financial loss to the state.

GBC