The Ministry of Trade and Industry will soon commence a periodic procurement audit to find out which agencies are flouting the Made-In-Ghana (MIG) policy directives and sanction them accordingly, the Project Manager of the campaign, Saana Nyarko-Dabie, has said.

Presently, the Trade Ministry has sent copies of the MIG policy document to all Ministries and copies are expected to be sent to all MMDAs as well.

“There is a cover letter telling them exactly what they are supposed to do. There is also an attachment detailing what procurement items we have identified for which we expect them to procure locally. We have also hinted to them of a periodic procurement audit the Ministry of Trade will undertake to find out which agencies are flouting the policy directives. Administrative sanctions will be applied against state institutions and agencies that will blatantly flout the policy” he told B&FT.

According to Mr Nyarko-Dabie, “favourable responses” have been received from some key Ministries that are requesting more copies of the policy document for their agencies and departments to help expedite implementation.

The new policy document, which was launched in Accra last month, will anchor the Made-In-Ghana (MIG) campaign and encourage the procurement of goods and services that are available locally.

Under the policy, Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs), government appointees and public officials will be bonded to buy “Made-in-Ghana” products except those that are not produced in the country.

The campaign is about changing the negative perception people have about Made-in-Ghana goods and services, to increase demand for them and the consumption of such goods and services.

The MIG is set within the national medium-term development framework of the Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda (GSGDA II), 2014-2017, under which income per capita is projected to reach US$2, 400 and help Ghana to achieve its strategic vision of attaining a higher middle-income status with a per capita income of at least US$3,000.00 by the year 2020.

As per the policy document, the intervention will increase production and consumption of locally made goods and services as a way of reducing dependence on imports and create jobs for Ghanaians.

In all, 23 priority products from different sectors have been chosen. They include poultry, textiles and garments, cement, furniture, pharmaceutical, rice, and cosmetics.