Murtala Muhammed, the Minister-designate for Environment, Science and Technology, has asserted that banning the importation of plastic bags in Ghana is not a viable solution at this time.
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He emphasized the need for comprehensive dialogue on plastic management and the development of sustainable alternatives to address the issue.
Expressing concern over the indiscriminate disposal of plastics, Murtala Muhammed highlighted the importance of adopting a strategic and phased approach.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on January 30, Murtala Muhammed said, “You don’t just ban because there’s a challenge, you need to be looking for alternatives. So if you don’t have alternatives and you go ahead with to ban, the consequences will be dire.
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“What I think I will do is let’s have a comprehensive study on the issue. And find out the alternatives, and how we support our domestic industry to come out with, if you like, reusable containers, and biodegradable packaging.
“And these are the things other countries have done. Rwanda didn’t just ban, they came up with some of these things. They stabilised the system before banning it. So I think that is what I will do.”
