Local producers disguise product origin
Discussing locally produced goods to appear as emanating from another jurisdiction is said to be fast gaining root among Ghanaian manufacturing companies.
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Products ranging from consumables to household products, foot wears, clothing and accessories, are branded ‘made in other countries” due to the myth that foreign goods are of superior quality and are therefore prefered to locally manufactured goods.
This has driven some manufacturers to brand their Ghana-made goods as such to improve market shares.
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) says it had heard of the report but did not have any evidence to support the claim.
The President of the AGI, Mr James Asare-Adjei, told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS that some manufacturers may be doing that to be able to satisfy the Ghanaian consumers’ acquired taste and preference for anything foreign.
“The Ghanaian’s high appetite for imported products is unhealthy for the country’s economy because it undermines efforts being made by the private sector to grow the capacity of the local industries,” he said.
The challenge, he pointed out, had often been that goods made-in-Ghana were inferior, but then it was important to support local industries by patronising their products so they would be able to retool and improve quality to remain competitive.
The reality
Some Ghanaians ostentatiously spend on foreign brands of products which are sometimes more expensive, even when there are affordable ones made locally.
While some people buy from shops that sell foreign products, others choose to buy everything from shoes, bags, clothes and accessories when they travel, instead of buying the ones made in Ghana.
Others try to figure out what products to get and why they should get them. Unfortunately, some Ghanaian products lack vital information such as informing prospective consumers about why they need those products, the benefits and why they should be the preferred choice among its peers.
Some people simply see Ghana-made products to be of poor quality.
Some stakeholders think that having depended on mainly foreign brands all these years, it is time for Ghanaians to have confidence in their own competences and local products.
This, experts say, was the only way African countries could catch up with the rest of the world.
Made in Ghana Campaign
Last year, President John Dramani Mahama launched the Made-in-Ghana Campaign to ensure the quality and durability of made-in-Ghana goods and services to change the negative perception among the citizens towards those products.
It is also to promote high standards and excellence in products and service offerings to increase patronage of locally produced goods. Besides, the campaign aims at reducing dependence on imported products that can be produced locally.
A logo has been designed for the campaign activities to help identify goods and services that have been certified to bear the logo.
During the launch, President Mahama urged indigenous companies to place premium on the packaging, quality and delivery of their products to whip up the needed interest among Ghanaians.
He also asked manufacturing companies to pay attention to marketing, saying “aggressive marketing was an area which also demanded investment.
Products 360
A television programme, Products 360, which focuses on an educational campaign to ensure that consumers are enlightened on the various products that they purchase or consume, has been introduced.
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Sound Spectrum in collaboration with Easy Day Studios (EDS) are behind the programme that has a major objective of arousing interest in quality locally manufactured goods.
Products 360 will be providing information and other resources to the consumer, so that people will become aware of quality products to avoid adverse effects after consumption.
Producers of the programme works with regulatory agencies such as the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), which is mandated to probe the authenticity and safety of products for public consumption.
“The programmes’ collaboration with these bodies signifies our readiness to partner with the bodies that matter in ensuring the quality standards of products as well as consumables,” a statement issued by the GSA said.
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The TV show also serves as a platform on which consumers can better understand a product and are given the opportunity to make inputs to the product features and properties.