Hassan Ayariga, the Presidential Candidate of the All People’s Congress (APC), has raised concerns over Ghana’s heavy dependence on imported goods and outlined bold plans to curb this practice if elected president in 2024.
Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face, Ayariga proposed drastic measures, including the potential seizure of imported food products and other goods, to encourage local production and consumption.
Ayariga’s vision centres on initiating an economic “lockdown” within his first 100 days in office, focusing on boosting domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on imports.
This, he argued, would foster economic independence, stabilize the cedi, increase productivity, and create employment opportunities for Ghanaians.
To implement this strategy, Ayariga plans to establish a 24/7 manufacturing hub, ensuring that Ghana becomes self-sufficient, produces its own goods, and lessens its dependence on external 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.”
