'Inability to adhere to standards is the bane of Ghanaian businesses'
A key factor inhibiting Ghanaian businesses from accessing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the lack of adherence to standards, the Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Prof. Alex Dodoo, has observed.
He expressed concern that ever since the introduction of AGOA in 2000, Ghana had not been able to effectively utilise the benefits from the preferential scheme which had the potential of helping Ghanaian businesses to expand.
Support
Addressing stakeholders in the textile industry in Accra last Friday, Prof. Dodoo gave an assurance that the GSA would support dressmakers and tailors to understand the reasons why measurement was critical in their job to enable them to capture a share of the global market.
“The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to get the textile industry to take advantage of the opportunities available to the country under the AGOA to enter the US market,” he said.
Already, Prof. Dodoo said, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has developed a strategic approach that would put businesses in Ghana in a good position to access markets in the US through the AGOA, which had been renewed for another 10 years beginning in 2015 to 2025. The renewal of the AGOA was by an Act of the United States Congress.
Capacity
The Director General also stated that “the GSA has the capacity to test fabrics to ensure they do not contain banned substances such as dyes as well as ensure that products from the textile industry here in Ghana are accepted in the US and the European markets.”
“The GSA has the competency and skills to produce dress sizes for foreign markets using Ghanaian clothes,” he assured.
Standards
The Director General underscored the need for Ghana to have “standards that are measurable to that which applies globally.”
He stated that the GSA was in the process of establishing an equipment hub to help manufacturers meet their needs.
Prof. Dodoo said machines for standard measurements in industry were expensive and as such, the authority would have one installed that would provide accurate measurement for manufacturers and also serve as a one-stop shop for all.
“As the national metrology institute, the GSA has the ability to support the textile industry to develop world-class standards capable of allowing them to sell anywhere in the world,” he said.
Advice
The Deputy Director General in charge of Conformity Assessment at the GSA, Mr Charles Amoako, advice industry players to take the issue of standards seriously to enable them to compete effectively in the market.
For his part, the Deputy Director General in charge of Operations at the GSA, Mr Kofi Nagetey, also urged textiles and garment manufacturers to provide standard measurements to enable them compete favourably on the international market.
Read related news articles
'Nigeria missing as Kenya, Ghana tap AGOA opportunities to boost foreign exchange earnings'
Africa’s biggest economy is still failing to tap the opportunities that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) present to boost its foreign exchange, amid acute dollar shortages. The AGOA has been on for over twenty-three years as it was enacted in 2020. In 2015, the program was modernised and extended to 2025, implying that there are only about 15 months before the window closes. Some countries have taken advantage of the AGOA more...
05 February 2024
AGOA extension crucial for Ghana’s industrialisation
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei is supporting the push for the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to enhance trade between Ghana and the US. A United States Trade Act enacted on 18 May 2000 as Public Law 106 of the 200th Congress, the AGOA legislation has been renewed on different occasions, most recently in 2015, when its period of validity was extended to September 2025. The...
06 November 2023
We want more Ghanaian exports in US market – trade minister
Mr. Kobina Tahir Hammond, Minister of Trade and Industry, says Ghana desires to increase its exports to the United States (US) market, arguably the most lucrative consumer market globally. He indicated that the Government had stepped up support for the private sector, both domestic and foreign, to enhance production and export capacity, particularly in the manufacturing sector, with notable opportunities for export into the U.S. market. The...
11 August 2023
Ghana trade minister calls for strategic US investment in African agribusinesses
The Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, has advocated for intensive investment in the agricultural sector as part of major plans to economically empower the African continent. The Minister made this pronouncement during the recent summit of US- African leaders in Washington DC. The US-Africa Leaders’ Summit was anchored on the shared values of fostering new economic engagement; reinforcing the US-Africa commitment to democracy...
20 December 2022
United States, Ghana looking at deepening trade
The United States is relying on its Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to deepen trading activities with Ghana to create more employment for the youth. The US created the DFC a few years ago to help mobilise foreign direct investments to help support projects in Africa and partner industries on the continent. “I think that is also an important programme and I absolutely agree that working together to build trade between our two nations...
22 October 2021
'Funding challenges undermine SMEs’ growth in Africa'
Analysts who spoke at a recent webinar organised by the American Business Council in Nigeria, in collaboration with US Chamber of Commerce, Amcham Ghana and Amcham South Africa on the US-Africa relations, have identified lack of adequate funding as a major challenge to the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa. The analysts were of the view that SMEs across Africa are faced with serious funding challenges, despite their...
30 July 2021
Ghana Apparel Training Centre launched to develop garment industry
In efforts to support Ghana’s garment manufacturing industry, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, together with its partners – Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA), Gerber, Groz Beckert, Freudenberg and Accra Technical Training College (ATTC), have officially launched the Ghana Apparel Training & Service Centre, in Accra. The launch forms part of a public-private partnership between the German Federal...
27 November 2020
US-Ghana trade deepens as 2019 local AGOA Expo ends
The Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has ended its Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade Expo with a high-powered business to business meeting which saw over 50 African American businesses strike business deals with Ghanaian businesses partaking of the event. President of the Chamber, Dr Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso 1 was confident “the engagement will expand business opportunities in Ghana in 2020”. “This B2B...
11 December 2019
US delegation reaffirms commitment to Ghana’s apparel manufacturing industry
The United States of America has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ghana’s apparel manufacturing industry. This follows a visit of a high-level U.S Congressional Delegation including its Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Ghana’s largest apparel manufacturer in West Africa, Dignity Do the Right Thing (DTRT) located in Adabraka, Accra. Speaking to JoyBusiness at the visit to the DTRT Factory, the Managing Director of the manufacturing firm,...
30 July 2019
Ghana Chamber to build capacity of businesses to utilise opportunities in AGOA
The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its partners are working together to increase Ghana's utilisation of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). AGOA accords sub Saharan African countries the opportunity to export over 6,500 products on a duty-free and quota-free basis. Over the years, Ghana had not been able to derive much benefit from AGOA, hence the need to encourage them to form partnerships to make strides, Nana...
24 October 2018
Ghana: Exports under AGOA hit US$748m in 2017
Renewed confidence in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has resulted in an upward trend, with the country’s trade under the programme registering a total of US$748million last year, according to the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI).The surge in performance reflects the collective efforts by government and other stakeholders including the chamber in strengthening the country’s exports.After reaching its...
17 September 2018