Presidential Candidate of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has expressed concerns about Ghana’s reliance on imported goods and unveiled his ambitious plans to address this issue if he wins the 2024 election.
In an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Ayariga suggested bold steps, such as potentially halting the importation of food products and other goods, as a way to drive local production and consumption.
Ayariga’s strategy involves initiating an economic “lockdown” within his first 100 days in office, aimed at stimulating domestic manufacturing and reducing import dependence.
He believes this move would promote economic self-reliance, stabilize the cedi, boost productivity, and create jobs for Ghanaians.
To bring this plan to life, Ayariga intends to establish round-the-clock manufacturing hubs, ensuring that Ghana produces its own goods, becomes self-sufficient, and reduces reliance on foreign markets.
“Ghana will stop the import… When you turn that country into a production-manufacturing nation, what it means is that we’re going to have an economic lockdown. I’m going to lock down this economy for one year. Nobody is importing anything anymore.
“So, from the first day I become President, the next year, Ghana is going to experience what is called economic lockdown. What is an economic lockdown? We import to consume, we import to wear, and we import to survive. We’re going to lock down this economy and not importation. Right now we have to change our consumption pattern to produce what we eat and eat what we produce.
“We have to change our standard of living, we have to begin to manufacture our clothing, and we have to live in a country where no other country exists.
“The purpose of the economic lockdown is to make our economy independent, stabilise our cedi, increase our productivity, increase job creation.”