Trade Minister, K.T Hammond’s controversial proposed Legislative Instrument (L.I) to regulate the cement pricing has been laid in Parliament.
It is expected to become law in the next 21 days unless a two-thirds majority of Parliament annuls it.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 2, Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza said that they only allowed the L.I. to be laid because it will no longer seek to regulate the prices of cement but require that cement manufacturers report the pricing decisions to government regularly.
According to him, the concerns raised by the Minority initially for blocking the L.I. have been addressed, adding that “the L.I. is no longer harmless.”
“So, we (Minority) are okay to support it. At least what I have been told is that it is not about price control. The price control element has been taken out. It is about price reporting to the committee and if that is the case, Mr Speaker, my advice is that it is no longer a controversial instrument so it can go,” he said.
This comes a day when the cement manufacturers are considering seeking intervention from the Economic Management Team (EMT).
Dr Dawson Amoah, President of the Cement Manufacturers Association, revealed that this option would be explored during the 21 days while the Legislative Instrument (L.I) on cement regulation is laid before Parliament.
“We’re going beyond the Ministry of Trade and Industry and up to the Economic Management Team because this issue is a major concern for both producers and consumers,” he stated.
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