My hard earned money and made-in-Ghana goods

Not so long ago when Ghanaians became more conscious about eating healthy, some Ghanaian businessmen and women decided to manufacture pure fruit drinks for sale. They claimed that the drinks they made contained no sugar, no preservatives and had freshly been squeezed. Most of these drinks were sold on tables and from the back of pick-ups.

It did not take too long for those who patronised the drinks to notice that the claims of no sugar and no preservatives were false and with this realisation, patronage naturally went low.  

The Ghana Export Promotion Council was very passionate about promoting non- traditional exports. With time, palm oil export from Ghana to the EU became a lucrative business. It did not take too long for the EU to put a hold on this as the palm oil from Ghana was found to be adulterated with Sudan dye. Sudan dyes (I, II, III and IV) are industrial dyes that are used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes. They are unauthorised food colorants in the EU because of their harmful effects. 

I saw a locally made dining table at a carpenter’s shop in my area. I asked that the carpenter make me one of the same. The carpenter agreed that the table would be ready in two weeks and took full payment for the work. I arrived at the shop in a hired van on the agreed day and time I was to collect the table. The carpenter was there alright but the table was not in sight. He gave me various excuses in the form of tales of how his mother was taken ill, how he could not get the wood and now told me that there was no way he could have finished the table in two weeks! 

After six months of leaving her fabric with a seamstress to make her a dress, a friend of mine attempted to collect her fabric because she got fed up with her frequent excuses, not to talk of the time and energy which went into the visits.  At the end of it all, she got a dress, but not the style she had asked for. 

Recently, I have followed various remarks condemning Parliament for ordering furniture from China. The concerns have been that the move did not promote Made-in-Ghana goods and did not encourage patronage of locally manufactured goods. Others have argued that the move was not patriotic. Not even the explanation from the House that the contract could not be executed locally because of the short time frame, among others, was found acceptable. 

I found these condemnations rather interesting and hypocritical. This is because we are all aware of the general attitude of our artisans towards work. It is no secret that they generally do not meet timelines, are not honest in their dealings; do not care much about specifications and after sales service. 

I have been wondering   why there was uproar about the Chinese-made furniture. As a matter of fact the Chinese have manufactured for us more than furniture. They have built for us our National Theatre, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence building located near the El-Wak stadium. They also constructed the Esipong and Tamale stadia. 

Most of the suits and ties we wear are made in China even if we bought them from a boutique in Nairobi, New York or London. We cannot pretend to ignore the presence of Chinese cars on our streets and heavy duty trucks on our construction sites. What happened to our Boafo and Smart turtle, our attempt at Ghanaian-made cars? 

In today’s globalised world, patriotism counts, but quality, availability, credibility and time as a resource are very significant. We can make all the arguments to condemn the Made-in-China chairs in Parliament, but if Ghanaian manufacturers do not get their act right, the prominence of Made-in-China wares on our market would remain a phenomenon for a long time. 

Some local manufacturers would argue that they are not getting the much needed finance to develop and expand but who would want to invest money in a businessman who is not credible and would not meet timelines? Recommendation plays a key role in attracting business. Who would want to do business with a manufacturer who would not work according to specification and who would play hanky- panky with his client? 

Why should I put myself through the stress of a local tailor when an already sewn chinese dress in a shop meets my specification, is cheaper, has the correct fabric texture and is ready for the pick? The mantra should not only be “buy made-in-Ghana goods”, it should be “buy quality made-in-Ghana goods”. 

Our local manufacturers need to change their attitude in order to attract a market. At the end of the day, it is about value for money. We all work hard to earn our income and nobody receives any allowances for patronising shoddy goods irrespective of who produced them. As for me, my focus will always be buying what suits me , after all, it is a free market and a free world. 

Writer’s email: doreen.hammond@graphic.com.gh