‘Don’t donate seized pirated textiles to charity’
The Textile, Garment and Leather Employees Union (TGLEU ) of the Ghana Federation of Labour has petitioned the Ministry of Trade and Industry to rescind its decision to donate seized pirated textiles to charity.
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According to the union, the decision violated Trade Related Aspects of the Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which seeks to give protection to members.
It explained that the agreement was to serve as a deterrent to those engaged in practices that contravened it.
According to the agreement, seized pirated textiles must be sanctioned with deterrence, including destruction of counterfeit products.
Addressing a news conference in Tema, the General Secretary of TGLEU, Mr Abraham Koomson, said Ghana as a founder member of the WTO was expected to ensure that its procedures were enforced as specified in the agreement.
He referred to Article 61 of the WTO agreement which specified that members provided for criminal procedures and penalties to be applied in cases of wilful trademark counterfeiting.
Mr Koomson said TGLEU would support policies of the government that aimed at building a strong economy to create jobs and provide job security for the people.
He said tariffs and trade rules were meant to ensure fair competition in trade protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), promotion of industrialisation and creation of jobs in WTO member countries.
Mr Koomson expressed disappointment that the government wanted to overlook the WTO trade agreement and decide to donate seized pirated textiles to charity.
He was of the view that ad hoc measures of the government aimed at fulfilling its state obligations to the vulnerable could subvert industrial growth.
Mr Koomson said industry in Ghana had the capacity to create more jobs, but for unfair competition from external producers.
He disclosed that some textile producing companies in Tema had turned their production floors into warehouses and were rather breaking even from rendering services instead.
Mr Koomson explained that local manufacturers created and designed at a cost and offered employment; complying with labour laws and International Labour Organisation (ILO) rules.
The pirated textiles, according to Mr Koomson, were smuggled into the country, making local production unattractive.
He stated that loss of revenue to the state resulting from that development amounted to GH¢300,000, as quoted in the 2012 budget statement.
Mr Koomson, therefore, called on the government to expedite action on interventions to save the situation, contending that this was necessary because the total collapse of the local textile industry was imminent.