Takoradi, April 23, GNA - The Rev Prof Daniel Nyarko, the Rector of the Takoradi Polytechnic, has appealed to the government to curtail the influ= x of foreign textiles onto the local market to save the textile industry fr= om collapse.

He said the industry had, for a long period, faced stiff competition=

from foreign companies and if quick measure was not taken foreign textile=

products could dominate the local market.

Rev. Prof. Nyarko said this at the "Local Print Day" fair organized by the Textile Design and Technology Department of the Takoradi Polytechnic in Takoradi. The fair, which is open to the public, is to showcase textile produc= ts of the students and create a platform to develop the industry.

It is also to facilitate interaction with government in sustaining th= e local textile industry and the patronage of Made-in -Ghana goods. He said there was a lot of imitation of local designs from the forei= gn fabric which is reducing the prestige of the local industry. Therefore, he urged government to ensure that the local textile thri= ves and be given the recognition that it deserves.

In addition, he suggested that government, through the Millennium Challenge Authority (MDA), should give attention to cotton farming as an export commodity. "Textile factories should be cited close to the cotton farming areas= to cut down transportation cost", he said and suggested to the government to=

put heavy import duty on imported fabrics in order to dissuade people fro= m patronizing foreign textiles. Mr. Richard Acquaye, Head of the Department of Textile Design and Technology, said graduates from the department found it difficult to star= t business on their own since it is expensive to do so and with the decline= in textiles production it becomes very difficult for them to secure jobs. He said the Department had decided to embark on a massive public education on "Made in Ghana Textiles" in research and assistance to small=

scale textile producers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to promote the= ir products. He said the department would soon start Diploma courses in Textiles,=

Laundry Studies as well as Fabric Care for those who are already in the industry to enhance their skills. Mr Acquaye appealed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and all textile factories to partner the department to find lasting solution to t= he near collapse of the local textile industry. 2010