The Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Sampson Ahi, has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to tackling trade facilitation bottlenecks affecting Ghana’s textile and garment industry, describing the sector as a strategic pillar of the country’s industrialization and export diversification agenda.
Speaking at the Public-Private Dialogue on Textile and Garment Trade Facilitation Challenges, Hon. Ahi emphasized the industry’s potential for job creation, particularly for women and youth, while strengthening Ghana’s role in regional and global value chains.
“This dialogue has been convened not merely as a forum, but as a partnership,” he stated, assuring stakeholders that Government remains committed to listening, learning, and collaborating with private sector actors to implement workable reforms.
The two-day engagement, organized by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry in collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA), brought together government agencies, development partners, garment manufacturers, and other stakeholders to identify solutions to persistent operational challenges.
Hon. Ahi acknowledged constraints across the trade value chain, including customs clearance procedures, compliance requirements, logistics bottlenecks, and underutilization of facilitation schemes, which he said increase costs and weaken competitiveness. He highlighted the relevance of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Scheme and the need to better align digital trade systems such as ICUMS with the operational realities of the garment sector.
Ms. Harriet Gayi, Director for West Africa and AfCFTA at TradeMark Africa, underscored the urgency of implementing evidence-based reforms to reposition Ghana as a competitive garment hub. She noted that while the industry has declined from its historic peak, its resilience was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when over 14 million facemasks were rapidly produced.
Both speakers emphasized that improving trade facilitation goes beyond efficiency gains, pointing to the direct impact on women and youth who form the backbone of the workforce. Streamlined systems, they said, would translate into increased production, expanded orders, sustainable job creation, and broader economic inclusion.
The dialogue concluded with a shared commitment from Government, industry stakeholders, and development partners to implement reforms that will unlock the full potential of Ghana’s garment industry and position the country as a reliable manufacturing hub in West Africa.
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