Made in Ghana Campaign Takes Off in April

Pres MahamaGhana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) is preparing feverishly towards the launch of the ambitious Made in Ghana (MiG) campaign to promote goods and services produced locally.

The campaign, which has been welcomed by players in the private sector, will be launched in Accra next month, the Head of Domestic Trade and Distribution at MoTI has disclosed.

The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, in December last year, commissioned a 17-member committee of experts and professionals under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Trade & Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah to champion a campaign on the promotion of MiG products and services.

Initially, the committee was tasked to begin and implement public awareness programmes that would project these goods and services produced in the West African second largest economy.

Madam Ansah noted in Accra during a meeting with the Communications, Advertising and Marketing Thematic Group of the Made-in-Ghana Committee and the Market Research Institute that: “This called for promotion of Made in Ghana goods and services which is also an important component of the President’s priority deliverables”.

According to her, the promotion would help reduce imports of foreign goods and increase patronage of local goods and services. It will help reduce significantly the huge gap that exists between exports and imports which amounts to an average of US$3.71bn between 2011 and 2013, Madam Ansah argued.

She was quick to add: “Again the promotion will help increase production for local consumption thereby expanding the production capacities of Ghanaian companies, to create employment opportunities to improve the living condition of our people”.

RESEARCH

Some previous research on why made-in-Ghana goods and services are not patronized she indicated were: “Wrong perception that made-in-Ghana products and services are inferior and more expensive than imported ones; the informal nature of the domestic market makes many Ghanaians unaware of the wide variety of goods produced in the country and the unbridled importation of similar products from abroad some of which are cheaper than the locally made ones”.

Following from the above, Madam Ansah told the members of the Association of Marketing Practitioners that any strategy that would promote made-in-Ghana products and services must first address the issue of perception particularly in the informal sector.

She stated: “Perception is deeply ingrained, especially when it is wrong or negative, resulting in beliefs and negative attitude towards the products and services”.

Any Strategy for promoting made-in –Ghana products and services would therefore be deeper and more involving than a just a promotional campaign.

It should target change in attitudes which take time, re-orientation of the minds of Ghanaians, and the inculcation of the sense of patriotism in the citizenry, according to her.

CAMPAIGN BENEFITS

The major benefits of the campaign which is expected to be launched in April, Madam Ansah mentioned include: provision of quality local brands; instill the spirit of patriotism;  growth of the Ghanaian economy; and job creation in the country.

She explained that in a bid to accelerate the pace of the committee’s work, three key sub-committees had been constituted with clear mandate assigned.

These are: Policies, Regulation and Legislation; Quality, Technical and Standards; and Communication, Advertising and Marketing.

On Policies, Regulation and Legislation, she said this sub-committee is set to look at issues that prevent local and central authorities in ensuring that Made in Ghana goods are patronized.

“It is equally expected that this sub-committee committee will look at our procurements policies vis a vis existing regulations if any and recommend for appropriate legislation when the need arises to enjoin State Institutions from importing goods from overseas.

For example, where it does not require any legislation, the President can direct state institutions in his State of the Nation Address not to import any goods from abroad and where it becomes possible, permission should be sought from the Presidency”, Madam Ansah noted.

While the Quality, Technical and Standards committee is also to analyze, develop and coordinate issues of production, technology and innovation to ensure that Ghanaian goods meet the demands of the Ghanaian consumer.

The Communication, Advertising and Marketing subcommittee, on the other hand is to determine the approach and role of marketing communication tools required to achieve the broad objectives of the campaign and to evaluate the process to ensure the sustainability of the enthusiasm of Ghanaians in the process.

The Vice Chairman of the Communication, Advertising and Marketing subcommittee, Kwabena Agyekum assured: “We are committed to ensure that this Made in Ghana campaign succeeds”.

 African Eye News.com

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