The New Juaben Municipal Chairman of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association, Mrs Gladys Ansah has called for the promotion of locally made attires by workers to promote the culture of the country. She said what is now termed national or Friday wear should be worn through all the five working days of the week and at weekends by Ghanaians to show the genuine desire for their culture. She was speaking at the graduation ceremony of 70 newly trained dressmakers and tailors by members of the New Juaben branch of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) at Koforidua on Thursday. Mrs Ansah regretted that, despite the efforts of the association to get all its members to honour their tax obligations to government and the New Juaben Municipal Assembly, they have not benefited from any of the many government financial interventions aimed at supporting people in the informal sector. She said the association has presented applications and proposals to various financial bodies established by the government to offer support to people in the informal sector, but it has not received any favourable response. The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Kwesi Agyei-Boateng, urged dressmakers and tailors to advice their customers against wearing indecent dresses. He told the new graduates that the prevalence rate of HIV in the Municipality was the highest in the country, and urged them to concentrate on their jobs and avoid activities that would expose them to the HIV virus. Nana Agyei-Boateng assured the members of GNTDA that the Municipal Assembly would always invite them to participate in the fixing of rates and other taxes they must pay to the assembly. He urged them to honour all their tax obligations to the assembly to support the development of the municipality. The Eastern Regional Chairman of GNTDA, Mr Edmund Frimpong advised parents to support their wards irrespective of their chosen professions. He observed that, it would be very disappointing if after three and half years of training, some of the graduates would abandon their profession and take to hawking due to the lack of financial assistance. Source: GNA