Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) has vowed to act decisively to protect the local textiles industry and save it from collapse.
Sector Minister, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, said a task-force would be set up to seize pirated and cheap imports, arrest and prosecute the offenders.
As a first step, the ministry has begun a nationwide programme to engage and sensitise the various stakeholders, importers, distributors, retailers and local producers to have a better insight of the magnitude of the problem facing the textile industry.
The industry, which at a point employed over 50,000 people, now employs just about 3,000.
Mr. Iddrisu, in an address read for him at a day’s workshop, organised by the MoTI in Kumasi, said the importation of pirated textiles, particularly from China and India, will not be allowed to continue, in view of the dire socio-economic implications for the country.
The workshop held on the theme; “National crusade against trade in pirated Ghanaian textiles” was attended by representatives of security services, importers, retailers, distributors and the media.
It sought to throw light on the damage caused to the economy through the flooding of the market with cheap imports.
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, echoed the call to the people to patronise made-in-Ghana products to create jobs and wealth.
He noted that no country could achieve economic success, if it overly relied on imported products.
It was therefore time that the local entrepreneurs were given every necessary support, encouragement and incentives to grow.
Mr. Arde Acquah of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) called for public vigilance to stop the pirated textiles, most of which were of inferior quality.