Minister of State in charge of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Rashid Pelpuo has called on the general public to patronise locally manufactured products and services in order to make indigenous companies more competitive and productive, enabling them to create more jobs to sustain the economy.

Mr. Pelpuo, who was speaking at the maiden Ghana-Made Products Awards organised by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG) in Accra, said the private sector must be seen as the driving force in solving the numerous challenges facing the country, and this can be achieved when the sector is empowered.

He said the country will retrogress if the public does not produce and consume made-in-Ghana products. Mr. Pelpuo said government has recognised the private sector as a key player in the country’s development process, for which reason it has rolled-out various initiatives to ensure it is strong and viable.

One of such measures, he said, is the introduction of the Private Sector Development Strategy as part of government’s national development agenda -- which will, among others, ensure that private enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, will have access to finance and receive the right linkages to make them internationally competitive.

The awards event was held on the theme “Patronising Ghana-Made Products, the Gateway to Economic Development”. About 25 locally manufactured products were recognised at the awards ceremony, with GIHOC Distillery’s Takai Cocoa Liquor emerging the Ghana-Made Product of the Year.

Other recognised products were Nallem Afrocentric Clothing, Interplast HDP Pipeline, Latex Foam Orthopaedic Mattress, and Polytank for the clothing and garment, oil and gas, rubber, foam and rubber-packaging products of the year respectively.

Nsawam Cannery’s Pineapple Juice and GIHOC Distillery’s Mandingo Bitters won the awards for non-alchololic and alchoholic products of the year, while M&G Pharmaceuticals, Agbeve Herbal Tonic, Ever Pack Akwaaba Tissue, Dzambo Towels, and Chocho Cream and Hair Food picked up the pharmaceutical, herbal, paper tissue, towel and cosmetics and personal care products of the year respectively.

The Lifetime Product of the Year award went to Nkulenu Palm Soup Base, while the Nkulenu Palm Wine Drink was adjudged the Indigenous Product of the Year.

Other awarded products included Duraplast Septic Tank, Special Ice Natural Mineral Water, Neat Fufu, and Hords Spray Starch which won innovative product of the year, natural mineral water product of the year, food product of the year and laundry product of the year respectively.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sam Ato Gaisie, Founder and President of EFG, said the awards aimed at boosting the pride of Ghanaian indigenous products produced by large, small and medium industries, and exposing them to Ghanaians throughout the country to promote, create awareness and build product loyalty.

“The key objective of the products-awards is to provide a platform for Ghanaian consumers to patronise Ghana-made products, and also encourage Ghanaian industries to make significant improvements in product excellence, innovation and quality to meet the challenges of international standards,” he said.

He disclosed that the awards will be conducted annually to create opportunity for manufacturing industries to gain the competitive advantage of having their products recognised on a prominent and far-reaching level.