Trade Ministry to tackle foreign petty traders

The Minister of Trade and Industry(MOTI), Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has said his Ministry had initiated some legal consultations to see how best to deal with the illegal invasion of foreigners into petty trading in the country.

He expressed concern over reports about the under declaration by some companies at the ports and added that at the appropriate time appropriate measure would be taken to deal with the issue.

Dr Spio-Garbrah was speaking at the inauguration of the MOTI Inter Agency Communication Group at Koforidua.

The group is made up of public relations managers of institutions and organizations under the ministry. He said his ministry had a responsibility to work towards reducing the trade imbalance between the country and its trading partners. Dr Spio-Garbrah said in this knowledge age, the success of any industry depended to a large extend on the mastering of effective communication.

The Minister appealed to Public Relation Officers in his ministry and agencies under the ministry who are not members of the Institute of Public Relations to consider joining the institute.

Mr Perry Ofosu of the Institute of Public Relations advised chief Executives Officer of institutions to make the Public Relations Officer in their institutions part of their management staff.

This would make them part of decision making to enable them understand the issues at stake in the industry to be able to effectively communicate them.

The Acting Director of the Public Relations Department of the MOTI, Nana Akrasi Sarpong, said from next year communicators in the various public relations departments within the ministry and the agencies under it would subject themselves to periodic peer review to enhance their performance.