Some indigenous Made in Ghana Products have been shortlisted to receive the Pride of Ghana honours at the maiden edition of the Ghana Made Product Awards and Exhibition 2012.

The Product winners will be announced at the 1st Ghana Made Product Awards on Saturday, October 26, at the State Banquet Hall. The theme for the maiden event is: “Patronising Ghana Made Products, the Gateway to Economic Development.”

The Ghana Made Product Awards and Exhibition is an initiative of Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana (EFG} and endorsed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

A statement issued by Mr Sam Ato Gaisie, President/Founder of EFG in Accra on Monday said: “We must all show patriotism and participate in the well being and financial stability of our nation and make conscious efforts to buy Made in Ghana products, including the consumption of Made in Ghana food and beverages in our homes, board meetings and official functions in other to save indigenous Ghanaian industries from collapsing.”

The award is about seeking the pride of Ghanaian indigenous products and exposing them to all citizens across the country in an as part if efforts to create awareness, promote and build product loyalty to save the economy and move it to international level.

The official product nominees shortlisted are: Interplast HDPE Gas Pipe, Latex Foam Orthopaedic Mattress, REROY 4.0mm Conduit Cable, M & G Pharmaceuticals Zintab 10 & 20 mg, Special Ice Mineral Water, Neat Fufu, GIHOC Takai & Madingo Bitters, Nkulenu Palm Wine Bottled & Palm Soup Base, Poly Tank and Everpack Akwaaba Tissue & Toilet Roll.

Other products are: RLG Uhuru Tablet-Laptop, Central Wood Furniture, Accents & Arts Metal Balustrades & Furniture, Duraplast Septic Tank & Durablock-water filled plastic barriers, Qualiplast Waste bins & Multi Purpose Crates, Chocho Cream & Hair Food, Nsawam Cannery Pineapple Juice, Getrade Village Fresh Alata Samina and Agbeve Herbal Tonic.

The rest are: Nallem Afrocentric Clothing, Samba Shito in Sachets 25g & Samba KFC Shito in Sachet 12g, Msimps Hand bags, Horseman Men’s Shoes, Freehand Studio Paintings, Horbs Smart Look Spray Starch, Horbs Pure Hygiene and BBC Leyland Paints.

The product categories include: Best Product of the Year, Lifetime Product, Emerging Product, Assembled Products, Innovative Products, Natural Mineral Water Product, Food & Beverages, Clothing & Garments, Building Materials, Footwear and Handbags.

The list includes: Pharmaceuticals / Herbal Product, Rubber and Plastics, Toiletries, Laundry and Detergent, Cosmetics, Art and craft, Wood and Metal, Electrical & Electronics, Tissue & Paper.

Products entered will be scored against six parameters that demonstrate overall Product Excellence and Quality, Product Content (local materials), Product Innovation, Product Leadership and Benefit to the Consumer, Product Value and Packaging.

Product Certification will be done by from Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) or Food and Drugs Authority.