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The Managing Director of the Kumasi Shoe Factory has debunked the assertion that the factory lacks the necessary logistics to produce quality footwear.
Speaking on Atinka Fm’s AM Drive with Kaakyere Ofori Ayim Monday, Mr. Eric Acheampong mentioned that whoever says that the factory is under -running has not paid the factory a visit. He added that, the Kumasi Shoe factory is actively working with its main focus on the mass production of boots for security personnel in the country.
He mentioned that the factory currently has a working staff of a hundred and fifty six (156) people and with the necessary support, the factory will have the capacity to produce 7000 pair of shoes per year and so critics should have facts before they insinuate that the factory is under performing.
Speaking on the same issue, a local shoe manufacturer, Yaw Opoku, however mentioned that local shoe manufacturing companies are suffering due to expensive raw materials, imitation of their wares by Chinese and Togolese pirates. He also said the industry is suffering because Ghanaians have high preference for foreign shoes and urged the government to find a solution to reduce the importation of Chinese and Togolese imitated shoes into the country.
A former Member of Parliament for Nkawkaw and an entrepreneur, Seth Agyei Baah, who also spoke on the issue mentioned that the government should create the enabling environment such as subsidized electricity for entrepreneurs else they will always be compelled to import to cut cost other than producing in the country.
