Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana’s textile and garment manufacturing sector will soon be position as front liners to transformative development.
This comes as the Association of Ghana Apparel Manufacturers (AGAM) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) validate a strategic action plan to guide and spur SMEs in the textile and garment sector.
At a workshop in Accra on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, to validate the strategic action plan, there was also a launch of a website to increase digital presence of the sector, and sell the story of Ghana’s buoyant garment sector.
The website is to also provide easy access to market and training opportunities, and provide technical expertise to support industry players.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the validation workshop, Ms Nura Salifu, President, AGAM, said the Association’s partnership with ILO would “bring about transformative change for our industry.
“By working together, we can create a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future that seeks to elevate the well-being of workers, advance ethical business practices, and contribute to a more just and sustainable world,” she said.
“We understand that responsible business practices are not just an option, but a responsibility, and our commitment has always been to ensure that economic progress is synonymous with social and environmental responsibility,” she said.
The AGAM president expressed confidence that through the implementation of the action plan, businesses would create opportunities for all – from the smallest of artisans to the largest manufacturers.
Speaking about the website, Ms Salifu, said the move marked “a significant step towards enhancing our digital presence and our ability to connect with our members and partners around the world.”
Mr David Marcos, Project Manager, Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work, ILO (PE4DW), spoke fondly of Ghana’s textile and garment sector, and the opportunities, thereof.
“The textile and garment sector in Ghana have a huge potential, and we believe that it’s a transformative industry that can create a lot of jobs for the country, hence, our support, ” Mr Marcos said.
He noted that though Ghana was well-positioned to service the American and European markets, it was far from the origin of the raw materials – predominantly, Asia.
“At the macro level, we’re supporting the efforts of the government in developing policies that can attract investment, and at the micro level, we’re going to help with our sourcing agents, and help in the coordination and procurement of the raw materials,” Mr Marcos said.
He explained that the needs of the SMEs in the textile and garment manufacturing sector were similar – technology transfer, modern equipment, finance, advocacy, and improved working conditions.
Addressing those issues, he said, required working together with a common strategic plan, which ILO stood ready to support.
GNA
