Artisans cry for financial support
The government’s plans to generate US$5 billion from the non-traditional exports (NTEs) looks bleak as one of the sub-sectors key to the strategy cries for help.
Advertisement
The arts and crafts sub-sector, which has enormous potential to rake in tens of millions of dollars to push the NTEs strategy, has lost its lustre for more than 10 years and recent attempts to revive the trade, including the establishment of a workshop for wood carving artisans, have not worked to expectation.
The Ghana Exports Promotions Authority (GEPA) which set up the Craft Village also contracted the assistance of a French artistic consultant as part of what is called “Project Development Workshop” to help the wood processors with trends and styles to enable their products remain relevant and modern to appeal to the international market.
Documents sighted by the GRAPHIC BUSINESS, however, suggested that the project development initiative which was planned to span 10 years had stalled due to what some GEPA anonymous sources explained was due to the lack of funding.
The workshop was to be organised for the artisans across the country. But the consultant has since returned to his home country, after workshops in only three regions - Volta, Upper East and Eastern regions - due to financial constraints.
The paper also learnt that the workshops were financially demanding as most of the wood carvers demand for allowance for the day since they had left their shop for the training.
Besides, the financial rewards for the country was huge. For instance, Ghana’s artefacts are highly sought after at Ambiente, a consumer fair in Germany which hosts more than 134,000 trade visitors from over 150 countries. In 2015, more than 4,800 exhibitors from over 90 nations which showcased their latest products. Ghana has not been regular at this fair in recent times and will be absent this year as well.
Why artefacts are important
Artefacts are basically used for decoration and some designs originate from deep-rooted cultural practices and are identifiable to a particular region or country.
Other Trending Stories
Like other antiques, artefacts are cherished by their owners, and there are many which are handed down from generations. Ghana raked in US$3.47 million from the sector in 2014 compared to US$2.46 million in 2013.
The carvers’ take
The Former Leader of the Aburi Industrial Centre, Mr Erasmus Philip Ahorlu, said the industry could have generated lots of money for the country if much attention was given to it.
According to him, 13 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came from their craft industry and a small country such as Ghana could have done lots of things with such money.
He said he was one of the brains behind the project to train the carvers to help them come up with new products which would meet buyer’s expectations and for them to order in bulk during international fairs.
“This in a way creates jobs for other carvers who are not able to exhibit at the fair because when bulk orders are made by the buyers, we engage the services of these carvers,” he noted.
Mr Ahorlu also stated that apart from the country not exhibiting at Ambiente this year, it also failed to exhibit at the New York Now Fair last year and that of this year, a situation he said was costing the country lots of foreign exchange.
He said the export side of their business and some new payments introduced by the Museums and Monuments Board also drained them financially and would plead with government for some tax rebate for the industry to be able to generate more money for the country.
Explaining further, he said, one of the major challenges they faced now was the high interest on loans they went in for.