Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin is accusing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators in Parliament of acting in bad faith following fresh controversy regarding a Legislative Instrument (L.I) intended to regulate cement pricing.

This comes after the Speaker, Alban Bagbin advised Trade and Industry Minister, K.T Hammond to withdraw the L.I, after NDC MPs raised new issues even though its leadership had allowed the L.I to be laid.

• Read also: Minority allows L.I. on cement pricing to be laid after days of resistance

In this regard, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he could not understand why the NDC is bent on delaying the processes leading to the proposed L.I becoming law.

He expressed his disappointment in the manner in which the Minority reacted to the L.I.

"When the matter came up for the laying of the L.I, our colleague raised a strong objection to the fact that we must subject the L.I to a pre-laying which suggestion we agreed.

"Now the pre-laying was done and a referral was made to the Subsidiary Legislative Committee of Parliament headed by Dr Dominic Ayine.

"After their deliberation, they came out with a report signed by the Chair of the committee. The content is to the effect that if the Trade Minister would take into consideration all the amendment, then, they are not opposed to it. True to his word, K.T Hammond incorporated every single amendment proposed by the committee into the new L.I before same was laid.

"In other words, the L.I previously brought to Parliament was changed so every amendment proposed by the Minority was factored. So the question is how come the next day, some members of the same Minority are coming to attack government," he quizzed.

The lawmaker stated that the main objective of the L.I is to promote competition, not to regulate cement pricing.

"Government is not seeking to reintroduce price control as if we are a communist government.

"This government believes in free market enterprise but free market enterprise must also be regulated and checked," he said.

Meanwhile, the Cement Manufacturing Development Committee has said it is determined to take action against manufacturers who fail to comply with pricing requirements provided in the Trade Ministry’s newly laid L.I.

In an interview on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Wednesday, July 3, the Chairman of the Committee, Professor Alex Dodoo said licenses of defaulting manufacturers will be revoked.

"The pricing regulation focuses on ex-factory price. It takes away retailers who are also mandated to report but the sanctions on them are little. But for the manufacturers, your license can be revoked if you do not report," he said.