Minister advocates quality home-made products, services

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Nii Osah Mills, has indicated the need for local industries to produce to meet the demand of the local and foreign markets as government currently spends excessively on importation than what it gains from exports.

He also inspired local companies to strive to be good brand ambassadors for the country by the quality the goods and services that they produce for both the local and export market.

The minister was speaking at the fourth edition of the annual Made-in-Ghana Product and Service Awards (MIGPSA) which took place at the State Banquet Hall in Accra.

“These monies could have been earned by Ghanaian entrepreneurs if they were producing more to satisfy the needs of all Ghanaians.”

A total of 37 locally produced products and services as well as distinguished business personalities recognised and awarded at the prestigious event.

The awarded products were picked from various segments of industry such as the textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, agri-business etc.

Mr. Osah Mills said: “In 2013, government spent US$1.5 billion on five essential commodities only – rice, sugar, fish, tomatoes, cooking oil and in the same year total exports for Ghana was in excess of US$17million.

MIGPSA 2016 was organised by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG) on the theme: “Industrialization, the key strategy to accelerate the economic development and job creation”.

Mr. Osah-Mills commended the Entrepreneurial Foundation of Ghana for successfully organizing the awards in the interest of promoting made locally made goods and services.

He said: “Our prayer is that this event which is aimed at encouraging growth of Ghanaian indigenous national products and services will be a permanent feature on our calendar and will grow from year to year.

I will like to congratulate the winners of the awards tonight for their outstanding products and services. It’s our hope that they will continue to make Ghana proud by producing goods and services that meet international standards to prove to the world that we have the capacity to produce world class good and services.”