Gilbert Akwasi Ntim
The Ghana Leather and Footwear Manufacturers Association (GLFMA) has petitioned Parliament for a review of the country’s tariff regime, saying the current system is putting local footwear manufacturers at an unfair competitive disadvantage.
The Association is calling for customs duty relief for raw materials used in the domestic leather and footwear manufacturing sector.
It says critical inputs such as leather sheets, soles, rubber and adhesives attract cumulative port duties of up to 36.1 per cent, resulting in high production costs for local manufacturers.
The GLFMA argues that the situation has created what it describes as an “inverted tariff structure,” where imported raw materials face high duties while foreign finished footwear may enter the Ghanaian market at lower effective tariff rates or through misclassification.
In a memorandum submitted to the Clerk to Parliament on August 28, 2026, the group urged the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism to urgently consider the matter.
The memorandum, titled “Urgent Policy Intervention: Customs Duty Relief under Chapter 98 for Raw Material Inputs in the Local Leather and Footwear Manufacturing Sector,” contains baseline data, economic impact projections and proposed policy interventions.
The GLFMA, which represents more than 12,000 registered artisans operating across over 3,300 manufacturing workshops, said the tariff situation was threatening the competitiveness and sustainability of the local industry.
According to GLFMA, the high cost of raw materials is affecting manufacturers’ ability to compete with imported footwear and could have implications for local jobs, investment and foreign exchange.
It, therefore, wants Parliament to introduce measures that would reduce the cost of production and strengthen the capacity of local manufacturers.
GLFMA President, Gilbert Akwasi Ntim, said the executive leadership was prepared to appear before the Select Committee to make an oral presentation and respond to technical questions concerning the proposed policy intervention.
Mr. Ntim appealed to the Clerk to Parliament to facilitate the prompt consideration of the document, stressing the need for urgent action to address the challenges confronting the local leather and footwear industry.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi