I will cancel importation of school uniforms from China – Bawumia
If elected as Ghana’s President in the 2024 general election scheduled for December 7, this year, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says the country will not import school uniforms from China again.
Addressing community stakeholders of the Okaikoi Central Constituency in Accra he said his government will introduce the Buy Ghana First policy aimed at garnering support and patronage for the local industry and the private sector.
“I hear we are currently buying school uniforms from China. That will not happen under the Buy Ghana First policy,” the 2024 presidential candidate for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) told stakeholders at the community gathering.
He added “We will also ensure that furniture for schools is not imported from other countries. Whatever we can buy from Ghana, we will buy here to help boost our local industry and the private sector and create more jobs for our people.”
At a different event, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia explained that the Buy Ghana First initiative to be introduced will require state agencies to prioritize the procurement of locally produced goods and services over imports.
According to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the policy will ensure that items such as furniture, school uniforms, and other products that can be manufactured within the country are not procured from other countries for government businesses.
“We will introduce a policy called “Buy Ghana first” for the government. So if the government wants to procure something that is locally available we must procure it here instead of importing. For instance, if we need furniture, we must buy from Ghana not that we go to another country to bring in the chairs, furniture, school uniforms,” he said.
The Patriotic Party flagbearer emphasized that the move is intended to create more jobs for Ghanaians, particularly tailors and carpenters, by ensuring that government contracts for these products are awarded to local businesses.
“This will create more jobs. So henceforth if we want school uniforms we won’t import from China. We will produce all in Ghana so that our tailors will get more work to do
All the furniture will be produced in Ghana for carpenters to get more work. You only go outside when the product is not available in Ghana. The buy Ghana first policy will boost production and save foreign exchange. It will help businesses,” he noted.
