The time to stop importation is now- Businessman fumes 

Businessman and proprietor of Star of African Montessori Academy in Berekum, Mr. Afful Manu Benjamin has reiterated the need to ensure the stoppage of importation of goods into the country thus calling for strict policies to ensure same.

"We need laws that will impose taxes on imported goods, as the government wants the country to move from importing to production”.
Elaborating on the impacts of importation, he said, “Ghana needs to put in place punitive measures to help boost the local industries to retard the deficits of importations”.
Mr. Afful Manu Benjamin's concern follows the recent controversies following the announcement of the cancellation of benchmark value by the government through the finance minister.
According to the businessman, the seductive idea of the government on the benchmark values is to help the local industries produce more products.
Speaking in an interview with Soiree News, the businessman said, “when the country’s industries are strong and raw materials are processed in the country, the importations of some common goods will be locally made hence creating employment and reducing the higher dollar rate affecting the cedi. 
This to him will reduce the economic hardship facing the country.
He however commended the government for the one district one factory initiative which to him will help the country to benefit its raw materials, therefore stabilizing the local industries.
According to him, the difficulties facing the government’s industrialization agenda  is something to be expected because everything good has challenges from the initial stage 
“Everything has its difficulties from their initial stage but with time the good result will justify its importance”,  he stated.
 “Sometimes I get worried when I look around and see the raw materials we have but cannot make them productive for our use not to talk of exporting them”,  he fumed.

He expressed that the policy of producing local goods with time will provide jobs, both direct and indirect for the ordinary Ghanaian and the youth, the value of the cedi will be increased and the country will be self-reliant.
Mr.Afful Manu Benjamin concludes by stressing that “ I want to see a Ghana that will convert its raw materials into finished goods and export them to other countries “.