Locally manufactured textiles scarce on the market

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to some shops which sell textiles at the central business district in Accra indicate that locally manufactured textiles from the Akosombo and Tema Textile factories are in short supply.

According to the shop owners, the local manufacturers have virtually stopped production due to low sales and the importation of imitated prints from other countries, notably China.

“What we now get from ATL is not the normal wax print that they are known for.”, said Mary Essen, a trader at the Rawlings Park.

They expressed concern about the development and called on government to institute measures to stem the smuggling of fake textiles into the country to avert the eventual collapse of local textile companies.

The shop owners expressed concern about what had happened to ATL and called on government to do its best to get the company back on its feet. The price of GTP wax print is pegged at GH¢45 for a half piece whilst Super print sells at GH¢65 for the half piece.

‘Vlisco’ cloth is selling at GH¢150, while ‘High target’ sells at GH¢24 for a half piece.

GNA also gathered that prices of other commodities at the 31st December Market near Makola, crates of eggs were being sold GH¢9 and GH¢10 depending on the sizes, while a pound of boneless fresh beef was going for GHc6 and GH¢5 per pound of meat containing bones.

An ‘olonka’ of gari was going for GHc4.50p while an ‘olonka’ of maize was being sold at GH¢2.50p. An ‘olonka’ of palm nuts was being sold for GH¢2.

The market women explained that although what they refer to as the “agric” type of palm nuts had bigger fruits as compared to the ‘local’ type, people preferred to buy the ‘local’ type because it was produced without the application of chemicals.

Tubers of cassava were being sold from GH¢2 upwards while plantain was also being sold from GH¢1 for just one piece.

Aisha Collison, Sales Executive at Sleek Cosmetic Shop pegged the prices of wig (Brazilian, Indian and Peruvian hair) at GH¢80 per piece to as much as GH¢500.

The traders noted that although there had not been any significant increment in the prices of their goods, they were recording low sales as customers always complained about lack of money.