Government has suspended the ban on the export of cashew nuts after pressure from Parliament.
This was after a closed-door meeting between the legislature and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
Adom News Parliamentary Correspondent, Abednego Asante-Asiedu, reports that the reversal is to take immediate effect.
A directive issued by the Trade Ministry stated that purchase of raw cashew nuts was permitted only during the main harvesting season from January to June, but export of raw cashew nuts is permitted only after May 31.
This generated public uproar with both Minority and Majority MPs kicking strongly against it.
In an exclusive interview with Adom News, Murtala Mohammed conceded that the House was not consulted before the directive was issued.
He indicated that the controversy would have been avoided if the Ministry had engaged the Members of Parliament.
“It is unfortunate that we got to where we got to yesterday in Parliament. If there were some discussions between the Ministry and Parliament, I don’t think we would have gotten here” he stated.
Murtala Mohammed said the concerns raised by Parliament were legitimate hence the suspension of the directive for further discussions on the issue.
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