Executive Director of Tourism Society of Ghana, TOSOGHA, Joseph Amartey has encouraged Ghanaians to purchase made-in-Ghana goods. He said to promote made-in-Ghana goods is to first and foremost protect the local industries which produce them by way of providing good tax incentives to them such as a tax holiday for a period of time or possibly a tax cut to promote higher produce and reduced prices, tightening the policy on imports by imposing higher tariffs on import duties and loosening the duties on exports. He was speaking in an interview with Zaa news.
When asked why Ghanaians spend their hard-earned money on more expensive, foreign brands even if their locally cheaper options exist, he said the simplest answer has been that, locally produced goods are seen as inferior and somewhat expensive most of the time.
He however blamed local producers for intentionally increasing in prices of products and appealed to them to be moderate and considerate in their pricing such that the ordinary Ghanaian can afford. To encourage Ghanaians to buy made-in-Ghana products, ‘National Friday Wear’ was introduced by the Government in 2004.
This policy was designed to ‘rekindle the national consciousness’ by encouraging citizens to dress in local attire. It was a domesticated marketing strategy designed by the Government to revitalize the Ghanaian textile and garment industry as well as promote made-in-Ghana goods.
By: Lilian D. Walter/zaaradio.com/Ghana
