Traders advised against the trade of pirated textiles

An official of Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) has appealed to dealers in textiles to refrain from trading in pirated textiles. Mr John Amoah said it was a crime to sell fake products to unsuspecting consumers as original product.

He was addressing a workshop organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to sensitize traders and the public in the Brong-Ahafo Region on the problems and dangers associated with trading in pirated textiles.

Mr Amoah said African print was unique as the values, culture and traditions of the African were incorporated in the printing of the textiles, while the pirated textiles contained chemicals that could cause skin cancer when used continuously.

He said the industry had the capacity to solve the country's unemployment problems but added that some employees could lose their jobs if the current situation continued and the existing three companies were closed down.

Mr Amoah said the industry had not called for a ban on imported textiles because it encouraged healthy competition. He expressed appreciation that some of the companies were undertaking genuine business but appealed to the bad nuts to stop pirating their designs and labels.

Mr John Okwan, Public Relations Officer of Textiles Garment and Leather Employees Union, said the union which formally had 30,000 workers now had less than 3,000.

He said the union had a back log of more than 1,000 applications from graduates of the various tertiary institutions which they would not be able to address as a result of the current state of the industry.

Mr Okwan said over 6,000 pieces of pirated textiles had been destroyed and emphasized the need for Ghanaians to trade in made-in-Ghana products, adding that the growth of the economy was a concern for all.

Mr Emmanuel Acolatse, Secretary General of Textile Importers and Distribution Association said its mandate was to ensure traders imported quality goods and intervened on behalf of traders.

He advised traders to keep records of their goods seized by the Task Force and ensure the goods were returned intact after verification to indicate whether the goods were pirated or original.

Ms Sylvia Ankomah, an official of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authourity (GRA), said the government had increased from three to six the entry points through which traders could import their goods.

Mr Kwasi Oppong-Ababio, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive Officer, said preference for foreign products was the cause of poverty and hunger in the country and that some companies had collapsed because most Ghanaians had refused to patronize made-in-Ghana goods.