AMA, second-hand cloth dealers demand stricter regulations on imports

The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra,Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey and traders in the second-hand industry have signed a petition calling for stricter regulations on textiles that are shipped to Ghana.

For them,they are demanding more efficient screening processes be put in place to ensure anything sent was at least of good quality.

“Our concerns have been drawn to the poor quality of second-handclothing. We have found that majority of bales brought to Ghana are full of clothes which are dirty or torn in ways that are completely irreparable,” they stated.

Mrs Sackey,signing the petition said developing countries like Ghana, deserved good quality and wearable garments.

She said that was why Or Foundation, a human rights and environmental NGO from the United States, had partnered with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to petition countries engaged in shipping second-hand clothing of less standard to desist from that.

“There isn’t efficient regulation of what is shipped over. The traders then have no choice but to throw these garments away, adding to the overflowing landfill sites and polluting their local communities. The streets and seas are littered with clothing waste and are destroying the beautiful landscape of Ghana,” she added.

Mr Sammy Oteng, Senior Community Engagement Manager of Or Foundation,said his outfit was pushing for Extended Producer Responsibility Fund for Ghana to address the country’s textile waste management.

He said addressing second-hand waste was an important part of the fashion ecosystem that was often overlooked.

Maame Yeboah, a second-hand dealer said the majority of Ghana’s populace preferred buying second-hand clothes because of its affordability, durability and made users have a westernised sharp fashion of class.

She said the profit from the sales was used to cater for the family revealing that sometimes, the bale was arranged in grades; grade A (high quality), Grade B (follows after A quality), and so on till it gets to Grade C and D (very low quality).

But she said she was deceived to believe, the current bale she bought was grade A, only to open and realised grade C written on the bale.

BY BENEDCT GYIMAAH FOLLEY