Koforidua, March 12, GNA - The Eastern Regional Branch of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association has expressed their displeasure about the exclusion of tailors and dressmakers in the regions in the award of contracts for the sewing of school uniforms. It is the view of the branch that the award of the contracts to a few companies in Accra does not reflect the spirit behind the government's earlier promise to use the project to generate employment in the country.

The association said the current situation has concentrated the contract in a few hands to the exclusion of the majority of tailors and dressmakers throughout the country. The branch therefore appealed to the President and the Minister of Education to ensure that school uniforms for the regions are sewn in those areas so that as many tailors and dressmakers could also get part of the contract to expand their businesses, create employment and wealth for others and help reduce poverty in the regions.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Koforidua on Friday, the Regional Secretary of GNTDA, Mr Alfred Kissi, said many tailors and dressmakers in the regions were saddled with payment of various taxes and rates to government and the District and Municipal Assemblies at the time businesses were slow. He said business of members of the association needed to be supported not only through loans but also through award of state contracts like the sewing of the free uniforms to help boost businesses of tailors and dressmakers. Mr Kissi said the sewing of the school uniforms should be done in the regions so that every region could use it to generate business and wealth for its people and not the current situation where only a selected few in Accra are benefiting.