The Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism has thrown its full support behind government’s proposal to restrict the export of raw rubber, describing the move as critical to protecting local industries, securing jobs and advancing Ghana’s industrialisation agenda.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Alexander Gabby Hottordze, said Parliament fully backs the implementation of the restrictions on raw rubber exports announced in the 2026 Budget.
He said the policy aligned with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of industrialisation through local sourcing of raw materials, value addition and job creation.
“We are backing government in the full implementation of restrictions on raw rubber exportation as announced in the 2026 Budget. The President is clear that no product should leave Ghana unprocessed when we have the capacity to add value locally,” Mr Hottordze said.
He explained that ensuring a steady supply of raw materials to local factories was key to sustaining operations under the government’s proposed 24-hour economy and improving efficiency across the manufacturing sector.
Mr Hottordze made the remarks when the Committee visited the factory site of Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) at Abura in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region as part of its oversight activities.
He stressed that Parliament would ensure that any decision to export raw rubber would be undertaken in consultation with local processors, noting that the restriction was intended to protect jobs, increase local production and boost government revenue.
“When factories operate at full capacity, more jobs are created, revenue increases and crime reduces. This benefits everyone, from farmers to factory workers, and supports national economic growth,” he said.
The Committee Chairman assured industry players that Parliament, working with relevant ministries and committees, would enforce existing laws and subsidiary legislation to protect local industries.
“What is fairer than ensuring that factories in your own country are functioning, people have jobs, revenue grows and the President’s vision is achieved?” he asked.
Briefing the Committee, the Secretary of the Association of Natural Rubber Actors Ghana (ANRAG), Mr Perry Achempong, expressed concern that more than 45 percent of locally produced rubber was exported unprocessed.
He said the situation had left local factories operating at an average of just 28 percent capacity between January and September 2025.
“Exporting raw rubber is costing the country jobs and foreign exchange. Workforce reductions of almost 25 percent have already occurred this year because factories are not operating at optimal levels,” Mr Achempong said.
He emphasised that local processing protected jobs along the entire value chain, including farmers, aggregators, transporters and factory workers, while also boosting revenue and foreign exchange earnings.
“There is no job loss when we process rubber locally. Instead, there is more to gain through value addition and increased industrial activity,” he added.
Mr Achempong welcomed the government’s proposal in the 2026 Budget to restrict raw rubber exports, describing it as a necessary step towards restoring the sector.
He noted that with the right policy measures, including the establishment of a National Rubber Development Programme, local factories could operate at close to 100 percent capacity and create more employment opportunities.
He further observed that neighbouring countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Guinea-Bissau had already imposed bans on raw rubber exports to protect their domestic industries.
“Ghana’s move aligns with sub-regional efforts to promote value addition, industrialisation and employment creation,” Mr Achempong added.
