Ghana government asked to abolish import duties on fishing implements

Stakeholders in Ghana’s fishing industry have asked the government to ban import duties on fishing implements, urging that it should be captured in the 2017 budget.

The stakeholders, who include associations of fishermen and fishmongers from the Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta regions, made this call at a press conference in Sekondi last week.

This decision was followed by a consultative meeting facilitated by Friends of the Nation (FoN), a Takoradi-based Non-governmental Organization (NGO) and supported by Oxfam to deliberate on the future of the fishing industry.

Addressing the press, the Western Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Mr. Mike Abakah-Edu, emphasized that the promise by government to eliminate import duties on fishing equipment “should be redeemed within the 2017 budget statement and economic policy.”

“To ensure transparency and accountability, we urge the government to publish the current import duties on all fishing equipment. This will enable fisher folks to ascertain that import duties have been eliminated and this will help us to monitor the prices,” he said.

He also urged government to “rigorously pursue its promise to promote the local production of fishing nets and other fishing inputs,” adding that, “this will contribute significantly to job creation and reduce the cost of fishing inputs”.

Mr. Abakah-Edu also called for timely, equitable and transparent distribution of pre-mix fuel to landing beaches, adding that, the distribution should also be devoid of partisan politics.

Proper management of the Fisheries Development Fund and the enforcement of fisheries laws, he said, were also critical and must be pursued.

By Marlvin-James Dadzie