Robert Ahomka-Lindsey addressing participants in Tamale
The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Robert Ahomka-Lindsey, has revealed that government is ready to prosecute illegal textile dealers next year.
The textile industry used to be the source of daily bread for most Ghanaians, employing over 30,000 workers in the past.
Unfortunately, the industry is currently struggling and can barely stand on its feet. That which used to employ over 30,000 workers can hardly make room for even 1,500 workers now.
The crippling nature of the industry has been attributed to the influx and high patronage of pirated low standard designs and the gross infringement on trademarks of local textiles.
To check this, a task force was constituted but its operations were challenged and countered making it ineffective and inefficient. Subsequently, the task force was reconstituted in 2013 with terms of reference to guide its operations.
The commitment of government to revive the textile industry has led to the introduction of a tax stamp on all locally manufactured and genuinely imported textiles. This tax stamp is expected to end or reduce the rate at which pirated textile designs find their way into the country. The move will make way for the growth of local textile producing companies, thereby creating more avenues for jobs.
According to the sector minister, government is in close engagement with the local textile industry players to consider areas of collaboration and government interventions to reduce the inefficiencies. This would help ensure a low cost of production and competitive pricing of wax prints.
He also revealed that the ministry is in the process of establishing a body which would see to the importation of textiles into the country. When fully established, the body will act as a single sourcing agency for all imports of wax prints.
He indicated that all importers would be required to place an order through the body when it is fully established. This would help government trace pirated textiles imported into the country.
The deputy minister added that the task force would then have its operations revised and it would also be mandated to undertake monitoring exercise in all markets after the launch of the tax stamp. They would also be tasked to take stock of existing inventory of textile dealers or traders and provide them with special colour coded tax stamps that would be affixed on their products for free.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale