Cement manufacturers must collaborate with government to regulate pricing – Alex Dodoo

The Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has urged cement manufacturers to join the Trade Ministry’s efforts towards ensuring transparency in the pricing of their products.

According to Prof Dodoo who doubles as the Chairman of the Cement Manufacturing Development Committee, a legislative instrument to regulate the pricing will not be out of place.

“They must also work with government to see which taxes could be moved into Regulatory affairs because when that happens – let me say the players not playing according to the rule will go out and the genuine decent players can produce good quality products, hopefully at affordable or more affordable prices that Ghanaians can buy.”

Speaking on Newsfile, the GSA boss insisted it is paramount that the cement manufacturers collaborate with the government.

Because that is the only way to “realise that we would have moved from where we were, to where we all want to go collectively.”

This comes as the proposed L.I. by Trade and Industry Minister K.T. Hammond faces resistance from cement manufacturers who have urged Parliament not to approve it.

Minority Spokesperson on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Bernard Ahiafor stated that the regulation contradicts the parent act, which covers standards for all goods and services.

“The parent act by its objects deals with all goods and services, that is setting the standard for all goods and services including the cement, and the understanding of the standard is controlling the quality of all goods and services produced and imported in the country.”

According to the spokesperson, the GSA is responsible for setting quality standards, not controlling prices.

He stated that selling is different from pricing of goods and services.

“We are of the view that if the LI is allowed to pass through parliament which will set the price of cement, then equally all goods and services produced in the country must go through price control because you cannot single out only cement when the parent law is dealing with all goods and services.”

Source myjoyonline