MOTI fingered in piracy saga

The Textile Garments and Leather Employees’ Union (TGLEU) has accused officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) of complicity in the long drawn out war against the pirating of textiles manufactured in the country.

At a press conference called by the Union in Accra yesterday, Mr Abraham Koomson, Secretary General to the Union, accused staff of the ministry of misinformation and distortion of facts.

According to Mr Koomson, the deliberate misinformation fed government had influenced the decision to suspend the work of the anti-textile piracy task force.

It will be recalled that over 700 textile workers last week threatened to hit the streets in protest against the suspension of the textile anti-piracy task force.

The workers said their jobs were threatened due to what they termed as government’s inaction.

The Finder’s contact with Mr Abraham Koomson confirmed the said threats of the workers.

Following reports of the planned action of the textile workers, President John Mahama during an interaction with journalists justified the suspension of the operations of the task force, saying that the activities of the force in the markets had disrupted the activities of poor and innocent traders.

The President further suggested that the task force rather focus on their checks at the country’s borders and thus prevent the entry of the pirated products.

In his reaction at the press conference, Mr Koomson pointed out that the issues raised by the President had been “exhaustively deliberated upon by the Ministry of Trade and Industry from 2003.”

According to Mr Koomson, all the facts are known to MOTI.

It said the ministry was fully aware that Ghana’s frontiers with its neighbouring countries were porous.

“About 99% of goods found on the market are brought through unapproved entry points. It will therefore be unrealistic for the anti-piracy task force to track these nation wreckers at our borders,” Mr Koomson stated.

He sounded a caution that “as the situation of the textile industry deteriorates due to the absence of the task force, the total collapse of the industry is imminent.”