March 11, 2016

 Uncontrolled imports: a serious threat to local industries in Ghana
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot

Accra, April 23, Ghanadot - The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has expressed concern about the large scale importation of goods at the expense of local industries.

The association indicated that the colossal importation drive embarked upon by the present and successive governments is a serious threat to the local industries.

The association observed that it was on record that the country’s textile production peaked at 130million metres per year in 1930, had currently dropped to less than 39million metres per year, contributing to the high unemployment level in the country.

It observed that local industries in Ghana were taking “a nosedive” because a large percentage of products which could otherwise have been produced locally were being imported.

The National Chairman of the AGI, Nana Asanti Frimpong has disclosed.

According to him, much had not been done to ensure that more of Ghana’s export products such as cocoa and timber are exported.

For instance, the country is exporting the same amount of cocoa it used to export 52 years ago when the country had a population of only 4.5million, as compared with the current population of nearly 23 million.

Contributing, the Director of the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Victor Agyemang contended that the near collapse of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) sector was due to lack of science and technology among the enterprises.

Most owners of small businesses are unable to implement modern technology in their enterprises, making use of the same equipment they used 50 years ago. This makes it difficult for them to favourably compete with their foreign counterparts.

Despite the need for scientific research in the administration of SMEs, Ghana had for the past ten years spent only 0.1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on scientific research, contrary to the agreed Lagos Plan which required it to spend at least one percent of GDP on scientific research yearly.

He urged the government to increase its spending on science and technology and stressed the need to fundamentally change the education system to ensure that school leavers were equipped with the ability to set up their own businesses and not settle for white-collar jobs only.

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