Rice Dealers to hit the street over rice ban

The Small Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana (SSRIDA-GH) says its intended demonstration against the Trade Ministry over its policies affecting members would come on despite the temporary hold.

“The decision by SSRIDA-GH to put on temporal hold our said demonstration is as a result of the outcome of a meeting the members had on August 22 with the trade officials and the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, to enable the personnel at the ministry sometime to clarify customs report on the issue,” Mr Yaw Korang, SSRIDA-GH Coordinator said in a statement issued in Accra and copied to Ghana News Agency on Thursday.

It said: “Members will carry on with the planned demonstration if the outcome of the clarification efforts does not promote the interest of the local traders but rather continue to promote foreign traders.

“This demonstration is necessary as this is our last resort considering several appeals to authorities to lift the ban on inland importation on rice have been ignored. Even a directive by the then Minister of Trade, Mr Haruna Iddrisu to the acting Chief Director on July 17 to open Sampa border post has been treated with contempt.

“We will communicate our new date for the demonstration as soon as possible,” the statement said.