ACCRA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ghana would leverage on its robust ties with China to strengthen its local textiles and garment manufacturing sector, Ghanaian trade officials have said.
Speaking with Xinhua in an interview, Yoofi Grant, chief executive officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, said Ghana would tap into China's strong technological advantage in the sector to position itself as a leading textiles and garments manufacturing hub in Africa.
He said this would enable Ghana to derive maximum benefits from the African Continental Free Trade Area program.
"We are talking to Chinese manufacturers to partner with Ghanaians in Ghana to produce textile products. So we need Chinese foreign direct investment in that direction to partner our people in doing that," Grant said on the sides of a two-day textiles and garment investment meeting.
Already, the government has taken the lead through a technical and vocational education and training program to build the human capacity needed to expand the industry, he said.
Agnes Adjei-Sam, marketing and promotions director at the Ghana Exports Promotion Authority, concurred.
"China is ahead of many countries when it comes to the textile industry, and are among the market leaders, which is why you find their products more affordable," she said.
Even if Ghanaian manufacturers source inputs from China, there is the need to structure that arrangement for balanced cooperation, Adjei-Sam said.
"What should happen now is a structured collaboration to determine what we can easily get from China and how to improve what we are already producing," she said.
The best way to tap into China's technological advantage is to establish partnerships between Chinese and Ghanaian manufacturers, Adjei-Sam said.
"If Chinese manufacturers establish here in Ghana, it will create a win-win situation for all of us and help in technology transfer, job creation, and import substitution," she added. Enditem