The Coalition of Textiles Employees has expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Trade and Industry for heeding to their call to implement the textile manufacturing control measures.

The Coalition, however, says the Ministry must reactivate the taskforce which mandate includes the power to seize pirated textile products from the market and at the borders.

They indicated that the role of the taskforce was very critical to the implementation of the control measures.

The Coalition called off its intended massive workers’ demonstrations after Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanteng, engaged them following their one-week ultimatum to government to implement some control measures agreed upon by stakeholders.

Leaders of the Coalition said that nothing meaningful could be achieved without an effective taskforce which would ensure that textile tax stamps were adhered to by stakeholders, especially at the markets.

They cautioned that “unless the measures are implemented holistically, the situation of the Textiles Industry would deteriorate and render employees redundant” adding that the “the Coalition would not hesitate to carry out the threat to demonstrate if the timelines given by the Trade Minister is not effected”.

According to them, the timelines given by the Minister included the conclusion and signing of the legal processes for the takeoff of the control measures on Friday September 13, 2019.

Others included the release of the tax stamps within two weeks upon request from local manufacturers and importers to affix them on the products.

The use of the Tema Port as a single corridor for the importation of textile products into Ghana as well as the takeoff of all other measures agreed on by stakeholders.