Ghanaian Ministry refutes textile unions' allegations

17 Jan '14

2 min read

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Ghana has refuted textile unions’ allegations of complicity in misinforming Ghanaian President John Mahama on the operations of the Anti-Piracy Task Force on textiles in the country.

The Minister of Trade and Industry Haruna Iddrisu recently told reporters that the Ministry has constantly updated the President on the happenings in the textile industry and activities of the Anti-Piracy Task Force.

The Ministry has remained a good advisor to the President on the trade and industry policy, and the President is adequately apprised on the challenges of the textile industry, he added.

Last week, the Ghanaian President justified suspension of the Task Force stating that traders need more education on the issue first, and the Presidency also directed that seizures of textiles should be conducted at the entry points and borders, and not inside the markets, as local traders had been unnecessarily harassed due to the Task Force’s operations.

However, the Textile, Garment and Leather Employees’ Union (TGLEU) accused the Ministry of misinforming the President regarding the work of the Task Force, stating that the Ministry was condoning the illegal activities of people pirating local textiles at the expense of the local industry.

The TGLEU and other textile and labor unions of the country are also demanding the reinstatement of the Anti-Piracy Task Force on textiles.

In December 2013, the Anti-Piracy Task Force which was constituted in 2010 was suspended by the Ghanaian Government in order to streamline its operation, as well as review and evaluate it, especially to protect the local industries.

‘Pirated’ textiles are a major problem affecting the Ghanaian textile industry. The term is used to denote those textile products that are an imitation of traditional Ghanaian textile designs and are available at lower prices.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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