Burning Of Seized Cloths Inhuman - Nana Frimponmaa Tells Gov't

The 2012 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Convention People�s Party (CPP), Sherita Sarpong, has strongly kicked against the decision by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and some key stakeholders to burn seized foreign textiles bearing trademarks of local manufacturers. �The whole approach is more like victimizing innocent women who usually just become victims as a result of failure of mandated government institutions to perform their duties well,� she stressed. Ms Saropong, also known as Nana Akosua Frimponmaa II is of the view that the women should not be made to suffer for materials illegally imported into the country by different people. �I expect a proactive government to be able to do a proper research and find who are really the culprits and if they cannot do that they should stop harassing the poor market women in the country�. "How do the cloths get into the country, don�t they go through the borders, and are the customs officers no more checking items that are allowed to enter the country? Burning these seized cloths is inhuman," she stressed. According to the CPP Vice Presidential Candidate, going to the open market to seize cloths is not the solution, but rather the zeal to deal with custom officers who fail to prevent the items into Ghanaian market. "Why is it that when they seized these cloths from the market women, they burn them? Why are they not burning all the luxurious cars that are seized at the ports? How come it is only the cloth that get burnt in the open for everyone to see? If every seized item is supposed to be burnt then they should burn those cars that they seize and later distribute among themselves. "Destroying the goods will not deter people from smuggling the cloths into the country knowing that our borders are so weak and security officers there are just not being responsible. �I think the best thing to do now is to sit down and do a complete overhaul of the system and take a critical look at our trade policy. Until this is done properly we will continue to battle with the same challenge year in and out."