The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is highly hopeful that local textile producers will be selling their products at competitive market prices as it clamps down on imported yet substandard products.
It follows the inauguration of a technical committee to set standards for the local producers.
The high cost of local textiles has been the bane of local producers.
The textile workers have made numerous appeals for the government to address the issue as a greater number of the workers will be laid off should they not intervene.
This is also partly to blame for the preference and rising patronage of lower cost yet substandard textile imported, mostly from China.
The Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo explained that the technical committee’s work is to support local producers to restore the ailing textile industry.
“I’m sure you are aware of the textile task force at the ministry, working to stop unfair importation. I will say that if imported products come in legally and pay the taxes and the duties they have to pay then Ghanaian products will compete fairly with them”.
Per the committee’s mandate, it is to ensure that textile producers comply with the set quality outlined.
Meanwhile Director for Multilateral, Regional and Bilateral Trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Nyame Baafi was hopeful that illegal smuggling of textiles onto the local market will soon be a thing of the past as they intensify measures to stop it.
“What we can assure you is that we are aware of some of those loopholes. We will come up with the textile task force that will now address the issue from a human point of view but very effective”
Chairman of the Technical Committee, Eunice Entsie assured that they will do their best to promote the textile industry.
“They all have their personal conduct they use so we need to sensitize them while creating this special awareness that they must have international standards so that they can improve the work they do” she assured.
–
By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee