New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Assin-Central in the Central region, Kennedy Agyapong, has said the president�s call on Ghanaians to patronise Ghana and made in Ghana goods can only be realised when local companies are given concessions like the foreign companies.
President John Mahama in his speech to mark Ghana�s 57th independence anniversary said Ghanaians should make every day a �made in Ghana day�.
He said that is the only way that Ghana can promote its own brand of products and through that, stop importing virtually everything from outside.
The president said supporting Ghanaian products will greatly help strengthen Ghana�s economy.
�We cannot allow our destiny to be determined by corporations, industries or individuals or exist beyond our national borders and that is precisely what we are doing when the majority of what we consume come from outside.�
But speaking on the floor of Parliament on the issue the NPP�s MP said even though the president�s idea is a noble one, he [President Mahama] has not empowered the local industries to make them competitive.
�What I am saying has nothing to do with NDC or NPP, what I am saying is about Ghana and what we can do to develop this country; I am suggesting to the president and this house that the only way we can help the local industries to compete effectively is also to give them concessions as they give to the foreign companies establishing businesses in this country,� he said.
He said before, we can support the president�s idea we need to address the issue of giving concessions to local companies, else the citizens of Ghana will continue to patronise foreign goods.
Mr. Agyapong said �the systems and policies put in place is not friendly to the local companies�.
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