Let’s push for manufacturing — Jantuah

The sector Chairman of Association of Ghana Industry (AGI), Mr Kwame Jantuah has urged Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of manufacturing goods for local consumption.

“Ghanaians still have the colonial mentality when it comes to general business in this country.

Taking a look across Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, the most prominent business you see in this three major cities is trading.

“A lot of people are trading and not a lot of people are manufacturing those goods they are trading, therefore, something is definitely wrong.

“I think it has got to do with bringing the laws but not being able to make those laws work how they are supposed to,” he said.

Speaking at a forum organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines on October 24,in Accra, dubbed:” Deepening value – creation in the mining industry through local production of inputs”, Mr Jantuah explained that manufacturing must put Ghana in a position where it will be  able to create billionaires out of their own people to man their institutions.

Challenges faced

He further stated that the challenge Ghana as a country was faced with a political system, where change in governments meant there was no continuity in policy and programmes making sure that these laws we have brought in are helping but they change laws to suit what their manifesto said and we keep recycling moving forward.  

“The civil society has a huge role to play, unfortunately it doesn’t always come on board  to push government to ensure that it is  actually using the laws to the benefit of particular industries,”  he added.

Mr Jantuah said manufacturers needed to understand the market and gain consumer insights.

“The packaging companies do not go and find out what the market wants for a product.

If the companies have gone out there to get different types of products that consumers needed they would be able to meet their needs,” he added. — GB