The Ministry of Trade and Industry must be restructured to ensure that its mission is fulfilled in the best interests of our Nation.
Agenda 2024 proposes that a comprehensive mission statement be written and passed by the Parliament to mandate that the mission of The Ministry of Trade and Industry must encompass under its jurisdiction, regulatory, oversight, enforcement, investigative and prosecutorial agencies and or departments to ensure strict adherence to the laws regarding imports and exports.
The economic impact of trade and industry is essential to the goal of redeveloping our Nation, therefore it is imperative that The Ministry of Trade and Industry negotiate deals that are strictly in the best interest of Ghana now and in the future. Agenda 2024 is proposing that Departments of The Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance review all trade deals as well as regularly audit The Ministry of Trade and Industry.
As part of the mandate of The Ministry of Trade and Industry the Koranteng Campaign is proposing that separate regulatory and enforcement departments be administered by The Ministry of Trade and Industry to oversee and ensure compliance with the law:
Import and Export Entry Ports and Fee Collection
Strip Mining (Galamsey) Regulations and Exports
Oil Exports
Cocoa Exports
Gold Exports
Diamond Exports
Food Imports
Foreign Ownership of Factories
All-natural resource export deals should be reviewed, those that were made below the standard of the law should be rescinded and renegotiated in the best interest of Ghana. The Ministry of Trade and Industry should seek remediation for land and water damage caused by illicit strip mining and the illegal exportation of Natural Resources.
A Natural Resources Export Commission with regulatory, investigative, and enforcement powers should have personnel at all locations that are extracting Natural Resources for export. The cost of the oversight personnel will be paid to the National Treasury by the entities who are profiting from the export of the resources. The Ministry of Finance should be mandated to conduct periodic audit of Natural Resource Export Sites that are under the regulatory control of The Ministry of Trade and Industry.
It is also proposed that separate agencies within The Ministry of Trade and Industry set regulatory guidelines for industry polluters and regularly enforce and fine violators.
In restructuring The Ministry of Trade and Industry its mission statement should include setting worker safety regulations and enforcement mechanisms which should include Citizen verification.
