Wa, June 15, GNA - The Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) in the Upper West Region has appealed to the government to award the sewing of school uniforms on contract to its members in the region.

That would enable members go round the schools in their communities and take measurements of the children and produce good uniform for them as well as put more money in the pockets of the members.

Alhaji Insah Yahaya, Upper West Regional Chairman, GNTDA, made the appeal during the graduation of 52 apprentices in Wa at the weekend. He announced that since the formation of the association in 1996, it had turned out 2,500 members, who were operating on their own and helping to reduce the unemployment situation through the provision of apprenticeship training to the youth. He urged government to see members of the association as partners in development and support them with credit facilities, equipment and machinery to train more youth in dressmaking to make the industry vibrant.

"Poverty among the people would continue to aggravate if government does not see us as partners in national development and provide the necessary equipment and machinery to our members at affordable prices to expand our businesses," Alhaji Yahaya said.

Alhaji Yahaya urged the graduates to pay their taxes regularly to the government revenue agencies and also uphold the ethics of the profession to bring sanity into the fashion industry. Alhaji Zaid Tamimu, a Director at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council who graced the occasion, commended the GNTDA in the region for contributing immensely to reducing poverty, unemployment and migration among the youth in the communities. He encouraged them to form cooperatives to produce good wears and take advantage of the international market to sell them to earn more foreign currency for the country.

Alhaji Tamimu, who is also the Regional Focal Person on HIV/AIDS, appealed to members of the association to form HIV/AIDS clubs in the communities and educate the youth on the disease to reduce its spread. He appealed to people in the region to undertake voluntary counselling and testing of HIV/AIDS, to know their status in order to manage their lives properly. 15 June 09