Traders in the Ashanti Region are struggling due to the influx of counterfeit textiles in the market, leading to a loss of customers and potential closure of businesses.
The issue is particularly prominent in the Kejetia Market, where fake products dominate, causing genuine textile sellers to suffer.
Ghana Textiles Printing Limited, producers of various local fabrics, face fierce competition from individuals who illegally use their labels and trademarks.
This has not only led to dwindling sales for local textile businesses but also a threat to their operations.
A trader in an interview with Citi News said, “I had customers all the way from Tamale and parts of Northern Ghana used to buy from me. They no longer come and buy my fabrics and it is affecting the business. This is all due to the influx of fake products which are lower than what we sell in terms of prices. So, they don’t come and buy the GTP products.”
The government introduced tax stamps as a measure to combat this challenge, but traders claim they are ineffective.
Some attribute the ineffectiveness to low public education on the issue. Traders are now calling for stricter measures from the government to save local textile businesses.
One trader lamented, “The tax stamp did not help. The people are also imitating everything that is on the original fabric, and they have designed their own stamps too and it is not good for our business.”
Differentiating between fake and original textiles is often challenging for customers, with many prioritising prices when making a purchase.
The Market Queen of Cloth Dealers in the Ashanti Region has urged the government to engage in continuous discussions with traders to address this challenge effectively.
“The authorities do not always factor the traders to get their views on some of these developments. They think the traders are full of illiterates. If the economy grows, it will depend on traders. I recently asked traders to halt importation because of the cedi floatation and the concerns were addressed in about three weeks.”
“Even if we are not educated, we are equally sensible. So, we will appeal to the Government and the Trade Ministry, officials of GTP, ATL and Printex to sit with the traders so we can fight the influx of these textiles together. We need to prioritise our local textile industry and we are ready to collaborate with the authorities.”
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