<<Print>>

Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has called on government to source local manufacturing businesses in the country. Speaking on Peace FM's Morning Show "Kokrokoo", Mr. Pratt expressed worry over the refurbishment project at the Parliament House, wondering why local artisans were not sub-contracted to supply the tables and chairs in the House. According to him, there are capable artisans in the country who could have done a quality job at the Parliament House. He however advised local artisans to also catch up with the new technological trends in order to win government contracts. There have lots of controversies over the quality of chairs and products in Parliament following the refurbishment of the House. Some chairs were reported to be faulty. The project is said to have been acquired and done by Chinese contractors. This has therefore raised the need for government to employ the services of local manufacturers who critics and some political figures believe will ably perform better. With some blaming government for downplaying made-in-Ghana goods and so, entrusting the project to the Chinese, Kwesi Pratt was of the view that products from China should not be entirely thought of to be of poor quality. He cited the National Theatre, which was constructed by Chinese contractors, as one of the best handiworks of the Chinese. Though to him, "it is not true that everything that comes from China is of inferior quality", he believed the time has come for local artisans to be sub-contracted for projects. Also making his submissions on Kokrokoo, the National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu called on government to address the root causes of the apathetic behaviour of Ghanaians towards local products in the country. To him, the government should formulate a policy to enforce the patronization of made in Ghana goods and the leaders of the land should set example for the citizenry.