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Local Textile Manufacturing Company Printex is blaming the government for the collapse of the textile industry.

According to the Manager in-charge of administration at Printex, Moses Tetteh Zizzer, the Ministry of Education, abrogated a contract it signed with the company for the supply of fabrics for the government’s free school uniform programme.

He alleges that government is rather allowing various companies to import fabric from China against its initiative of encouraging Ghanaian textile manufacturing companies. 

“When we met with the then Vice President now President, the agreement was that they were going to channel all the governmental contracts for the police, army and the rest to the local industries. Some industries were advised to go and retool and they were promised government assistance in retooling in expectation of having this contract. Now as we speak, we don’t know what our future will be. As for Akosombo Textiles Ltd (ATL), they are not even producing at all. Their situation is worst” he lamented. 

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Moses Tetteh Zizzer, stated that government’s posture is killing the local textile industry.

He is therefore asking government to help revamp the Local Textile Manufacturing industries to make them more competitive.

“As we speak, Printex operates four days in a week. I know GTP has also slowed down with production because they are also facing same; and that is what has compelled us to be engaging in the race on the market to see if it will boost our production. The textile industry is on the verge of collapse because things are not that good for us” he stated.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Education the Deputy Minister in-charge of Pre-tertiary at the Ministry, Alex Kyeremeh, has confirmed giving out contracts to individuals but denied direct involvement in the importation of fabrics from China for the programme.

“The report is erroneous. There is no iota of truth in it. Last year, we had budget for the purchase of school uniforms to be distributed across the country and we invited bids and some Ghanaian companies took advantage of that and they were awarded to do that. So it’s not true that the Ministry bought textiles from China; we don’t do that. We normally give it to Ghanaian companies and they buy their own fabrics and sew the uniforms. I am not aware that they are buying from China. It hasn’t come to our notice that any of the companies bought anything from China “he explained.