The Executive Secretary of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) Rev. Dr. George Dawson-Ahmoah has said cement manufacturers were not included in any discussion on Legislative Instrument to regulate cement prices.
Speaking in an interview on Key Points on TV3 Saturday, June 29, he said the cement manufacturers should have been considered as they are a stakeholder in the industry.
According to him, the cement manufacturers have a memorandum of understanding with the Trades Ministry which gives it some advantage to resolve any issue concerning the industry.
Rev. Dr. George Dawson-Ahmoah said they are “surprised” by the Trades Ministry’s sole decision to regulate cement prices with a Legislative Instrument.
” We are surprised that such a move did not come as a result of stakeholder consultations. This is a major issue and the stakeholders are the cement manufacturers and we believe that if there is going to be a law concerning cement industry, there should be a jaw-jaw,” he stated.
“We have a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Trades and Industry…so there is the need for the Ministry and the Industry to establish a consistent rapport whereby we would actually come together to solve any issue or any issue or concern on cement production,” he added.
He emphasized that the Association has in the past established Legislative Instrument together with the Ministry to regulate other issues bothering the industry, hence the Association does not understand why the Ministry will avoid manufacturers in its bid to stabilize cement prices.
Meanwhile, Trades and Industry Minister, KT Hammond told journalists in Parliament on Wednesday, June 26 that he had engaged them.
“I asked them to ensure that something was done about it. In my absence, I was told that the minister wasn’t going to be able to do anything.
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“They would not listen, they wouldn’t do it, and they would go the way they want. “Encouraging them to do it is a moral persuasion. If moral persuasion fails, there is a system in the country, there’s a constitution, and we are preyed by a rule of law. If we don’t accept the moral principle, at least some sort of economic principle, the good people of Ghana must benefit. I don’t think it is fair for the way they are pricing and the way, haphazardly each one of them decides and dictates how much a bag of cement should be sold for.
“This is quite apart from the quality that they are producing. Some of the companies are producing substandard products. We have had to deal with this matter,” he said.
An attempt to lay the document in Parliament on Tuesday, June 26, was blocked by the Minority.
The opposition lawmakers insisted the L.I. must first be discussed.
