Nana Owusu-Afari, President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has said textile designs are intellectual property that should be protected.

He has therefore entreated Ghanaians to be on the look out for fake textile prints imported into the country, saying, “All of us must be vigilant to reduce, if not eradicate, fake prints from the system.”

The AGI President made the remarks during the Association’s quarterly meeting with industries in Takoradi on Wednesday.

Nana Owusu-Afari said he was grateful to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) for instituting a 16-member task force to check on such nefarious businesses to protect and preserve local textile manufacturing industries from collapsing.

He said that fake and pirated Ghanaian designs were imported into the country by some unscrupulous businessmen and women whose activities were gradually killing local industries, adding that the AGI was satisfied by the Government's directive that imported prints must pass through the three entry ports namely, Tema, Takoradi and the Kotoka International Airport.

Nana Owusu-Afari said the September 13, 2013 declaration that all imported African prints should be regarded as “High Risk Goods” must be enforced, saying, such commodities must be subjected to 100 per cent physical examination.