Ho, Dec. 30, GNA- Mr Dela Gadzanku, Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in the Volta, Eastern and Oti regions, has called for more patronage of locally produced goods during the yuletide.
He said there was an increasing variety of locally made products, following recent industrialisation efforts.
Mr Gadzanku, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the patronage of locally made goods would help the producers,trepreneurs and industry stakeholders, working to create an independent local production ecosystem.
“We need to patronise and consume made in Ghana goods during the Christmas as part of efforts to boost local industries.
“If we consume made in Ghana products it goes a long way to even motivate the industries to work harder as they know Ghanaians have accepted their products. But when we continue to choose more foreign products over the local ones, it’s a disincentive,” he said.
Mr Gadzanku said the Volta, Eastern and Oti regions had several locally made products on the market such as wines made from cashew, cocoa and coffee, among other products.
He said the Volta Region was home to over 20 different rice products and at least two coffee brands.
Local produce from the three regions also included snacks and food products, home utensils, and industrial materials such as paints and coatings, cast masonry and roofing products.
He noted that the AGI continued to pursue its vision of minimising dependence on imports and that the government’s recent action on benchmark values provided significant cover in that regard.
He gave the assurance that the Association would continue to work with stakeholders towards the establishment of one-stop shops for local produce, adding that the Ho Airport was expected to host one such outlet.
GNA