Ghanaian Artisans have called on the government for more investment in the local industry in order to remain competitive. This is after data from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) revealed that the average annual furniture import into the country is pegged over 180 million Ghana cedis.
An influx of imported second-hand furniture into the country appears to be pushing local manufacturers out of business as some people opt for the second-hand furniture.
Furniture gives complete design to homes. It adds up to making one’s home feel welcoming. However, in the Ghanaian space, there appears to be that desire for imported furniture over locally manufactured ones.
Mr. Festus Tenkorang, who has been in the business of importing second-hand furniture for over a decade argues that locally made furniture is of poor quality, hence, a decline in its patronage.
“When you compare the locally manufactured ones to the imported ones, the materials we use are not of standard. For instance, when you sit in the chair, the foam flattens. The covering materials also fade off easily when you try to clean it . And the wood used can retain moisture, amongst other petty limitations.
“Quite a number of people were used to the Ghana made furniture until they started using the imported ones, which offer better durability.”
Festus Tenkorang
Joseph Kojo Asante, a sales person also justified why there is a growing preference for the imported second-hand furniture.
“…The home-used are very very solid, whereby a white man when he is doing his products, he [does] them quality not like our local carpenters. Normally too, [locally], some of our sicklers also need the recliner sit to be able to relax a lot. Here, the local carpenters, it is hard for them to know how to do that recliner seats and things. The local ones are strong but not comparable to the foreign ones and mostly the customers are always hunting for the home-used ones.”
Joseph Asante
Meanwhile, the report from local artisans seems to refute the earlier arguments raised about the inferiority of the locally manufactured furniture..
“It will depend on the person that has learned [on] the job too. Maybe the class of work that he learnt, [is what] he produces to you. But if you go to someone who has learnt the job higher, then you get a quality [product]. Some of them also do not finish learning on the job before starting their own businesses…”
Local Artisan
Government support to boost the standard of products manufactured in the local industry
The local artisans therefore urge the government to offer support in the form of investment for the local industry to thrive. Some artisans noted that this support will go a long way in assisting skilled artisans who are good on the job yet lack the resources, come out to produce quality furniture.
“Right now, we are depending on a lot of machines. So if the government is helping us with those machines, we can reach that standard.”
Local Artisan
In an up-close with some customers, some said they will prefer the locally made ones because of the strength of the woods- Odum, sapele and the likes, used in manufacturing them. Other concerns about the quality of the materials used by the local industry is that, woods of today in Ghana are no longer as strong as some years back, thus, will be the reason of choosing the imported foreign furniture over the locally made ones.
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