The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has\u00a0criticised the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for condemning the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)\u2019s approval of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).<\/p>\n
The TUC condemned ECOWAS <\/b>in a press statement for endorsing the EPA, saying that provisions in the EPA will lead to a total collapse of the domestic manufacturing and other productive sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n
Mr. Cudjoe disagreed with this assertion and told Citi News<\/b> that he believes the TUC could only arrive at such a conclusion based on an \u201cunscientific\u201d assessment of the real benefits of the agreement.<\/p>\n
ECOWAS’ approval of the EPA at the 45th Summit of Heads of States in Accra on July 10 has already been met with much scepticism by several Civil Society Organisations, Labour Unions and sections of the general public.<\/p>\n
Mr. Cudjoe, however, expressed IMANI Ghana\u2019s approval of EPA, labeling \u00a0it as \u201ca very sensible thing to have been done,\u201d adding that it was \u201cone of the best mechanisms to realize our agricultural growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Below is TUC\u2019s Statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n TUC GHANA CONDEMNS APPROVAL OF EPAs<\/strong><\/p>\n The Trades Union Congress TUC (Ghana) adds its voice to; in no uncertain terms condemn the decision of West African leaders to approve the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union (EU).\u00a0 The decision, taken at the 45th<\/sup> Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments on July 10, 2014 in Accra, is contrary to the long held views and positions expressed by experts, stake-holders and ordinary citizens and corroborated by reputable institutions such as the United Nations.<\/p>\n Several Stake-holders including Faith-based organisations, trade associations, farmer-based organizations, women groups, Ordinary citizens, non-governmental organizations and private sector players have repeatedly demonstrated over the years that the EPAs are against the fundamental developmental needs and imperatives of the economies of West Africa.<\/p>\n The terms and provisions in the EPA text as it stands now, will lead to a total collapse of the domestic manufacturing and other productive sectors simply due to undue pressure from the subsidized goods from Europe and loss of revenue from trade taxes. Committing the ECOWAS Region to develop a roadmap and modalities for further liberalization and deregulation of a range of areas including those not required by International rule or obligation within six months of its adoption, shows how tilted the EPAs are.<\/p>\n One expects ECOWAS leaders to pursue a trade policy that protects local goods, encourage home industry and taxes foreign products thus putting the burden of revenue on the foreign goods; a trade policy that secures the ECOWAS, or for that matter, an African market for the African producer and not one that upholds European standards for the European worker. The EPAs make the ECOWAS worker completely dependent on foreign demand and price.<\/p>\n ECOWAS leaders fully understanding the consequences yet going ahead to sign the EPAs and putting the region\u2019s development in jeopardy thus curtailing their own governments\u2019 ability to take charge of their home grown developmental policies, is very strange, to say the least. This is complete pain inflicted on the people of West Africa in return for a paltry aid (far less than total WA trade taxes) promised by the European Union and an attempt to save a few groups of exporters when indeed credible alternatives exist that can address the concerns and needs of all stake-holders.<\/p>\n The TUC (Ghana) supports the call by the Economic Justice Network (EJN) that this agreement cannot be accepted by ordinary workers, men and women of this country who struggle daily in the midst of the precarious economic situation. TUC calls upon Parliamentarians to demonstrate due leadership when this inimical agreement is presented to them for ratification.<\/p>\n For: TRADES UNION CONGRESS (GHANA)<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n KOFI ASAMOAH<\/b><\/p>\n SECRETARY GENERAL<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n By: Edwin Kwakofi\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has\u00a0criticised the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for condemning the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)\u2019s approval of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The TUC condemned ECOWAS in a press statement for endorsing the EPA, saying that provisions in the EPA will lead to a total collapse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":7902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[43,1092,311,292,38],"yoast_head":"\n