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Opinions of Saturday, 25 May 2024

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

Enough with the noise constantly being made by Ghanaian importers

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Sorry, I am getting fed up with Ghanaian importers. They are all the time making noise about the depreciation of the Cedi as against the Dollar.

Let Ghanaians understand that a country principally relying on importation of foreign goods and services to thrive or survive is always at risk of collapsing.

Ghanaians have cultivated an absurd taste for foreign goods to the detriment of the local production of home-made goods.

Ghanaians do not patronize homemade goods but foreign ones to the point of preferring the purchase of used ladies’ underwear and other second-hand dresses (oburoni waawu) to brand-new manufactured goods in Ghana.

Ghanaians have cultivated silly taste and preference for even sub-standard Chinese goods and clothing to quality made-in-Ghana goods. How silly could we be as a nation?

Do our Ghanaian importers reinvest their profits so made from importing and selling these foreign goods that are ruining our economy and Ghanaians as a people in the production sectors of the Ghanaian economy?

Can’t they emulate Kennedy Agyapong (Hon.), the farsighted and visionary industrialist-cum-politician? Look how he is investing in the production sector of the Ghanaian economy and creating jobs for the people. Does he mourn as much as, or more than, the other importers?

How many of us are purchasing Kantanka cars? Failing to purchase made-in-Ghana goods, how can the Ghanaian industrialists improve upon their goods, get profit, create more jobs for the youth, and help advance the country?

If the importers are not making enough profit because of the dollar skyrocketing against the Cedi, they had better stop their importation.

Do they know all the factors and details about the dollar appreciating against the Cedi? They had better know. Their attitude is a contributing factor.

If Ghanaians start purchasing homemade goods, e.g. rice, clothes, and chicken, rather than importing chicken spare parts and second-hand clothing and other such non-essential goods from abroad, the dollar will fall to its appreciable level.

Stop mourning, all ye Ghanaian importers of non-essential commodities.

Is not quite nonsensical on our part as a people and nation to be importing onions, tomatoes, etc., from Burkina Faso when we have same fertile land to produce such products in Ghana?

Is it not stupid on our part to be importing turkey tails, and frozen chicken parts from abroad when we can encourage the production of such things in Ghana.

No wonder Ghanaians are dying in their numbers at home. Importing all these alleged semi-contaminated products from abroad.

I am personally fed up with the most nonsensical noise being made by the Ghanaian importers, their agents, and assigns, coupled with their shameless threats to embark on public demonstrations every now and then.

When will Ghana become a nation of exporters of finished goods, cultivate a taste for our own homegrown or made goods to be able to advance, but not forever remain the white man’s underdogs, consciously or unconsciously turning our country into a shithole, courtesy by former American President Donald Trump?

Go on demonstrations until thy kingdom comes, for that I care!

If you are bringing politics into it, I bet you populist politician John Dramani Mahama cannot do much to better the situation until we change that deplorable taste we have cultivated for foreign goods.

You can mourn as much you want if you remain the same as you are today, Ghanaians and Ghana will continue to suffer.

As myopic as we are as a people, we are crying over the importation of goods made difficult by the overly appreciated dollar while the Chinese, Russians, and other foreign nationals in Ghana are doing galamsey to spoil our water bodies, fertile and arable lands, forests, and cash crops.

Are we mad or stupid as a people if I may ask?