GHANA’S President John Mahama has asked the Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah to Chair the Promotion of Made-In-Ghana Committee.
According to a statement signed by Nana Akrasi Sarpong AG. Director of Communications, the president instructed the minister to take up the position “due to the importance of the initiative to Government”.
At a recent meeting of the Committee, Dr. Spio-Garbrah noted that the Promotion of Made-In-Ghana goods and services is very critical to the challenge of strengthening the cedi, increasing exports, and narrowing the trade and budget deficits.
He however called for the expansion of the Committee to include representatives of the Advertisers Association of Ghana, the Institute of Public Relations, the Ghana Journalists Association, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana, and Consumer Protection Association of Ghana, since their inclusion will help ease the Committee’s work in the promoting campaign for the Ghana made products.
He has therefore tasked the Secretariat of the Committee to extend invitations to these associations to nominate their representatives.
Promotion of Made-In-Ghana goods is not a new initiative in Ghana, he conceded, citing the “Operation Feed Yourself” programme of the Acheampong era and the late Dan Lartey’s domestication.
He added that it is now time all Ghanaians put in more effort to help promote locally produced goods in order to create more jobs, grow local industry and increase Ghana’s export earnings.
The Minister however admonished manufacturers in Ghana to improve upon their production capacities and the quality of their products so as to become more competitive on the international market.
Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, stated that the focus of the promotion would not be solely on clothing and textiles but on everything made in Ghana. He said government was prepared to support Ghanaian industries to help promote locally manufactured products, increase jobs and improve the living standards of the people.
Murtala Mohammed, another Deputy Minister, underscored the fact that the President is serious about increasing the patronage of Ghana made products and services and that the campaign would not be a mere political gimmick but a sustainable, diversified and professional campaign.
The Made-in-Ghana Committee is made of representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana Trade Fair Company, Brand Ghana, Unilever, Gratis Foundation, Association of Ghana Industries, Nestle Ghana Limited, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Ghana Standards Authority.
African Eye News
