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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Feb 2012 : 12:45:35
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Daily Newd Editorial: In Defence of Made in Gambia
Friday, February 17, 2012
 Certainly, the local manufacturers need to do a lot of jazzing up. For instance, they need to improve the quality of their products to attract both local and international markets. To succeed in that, they have to particularly do away with the typical Gambian way of doing business – ‘my business’ – and start entering into partnerships. That way, they can expand their businesses to a point a sole proprietorship could not reach and at the same time enhance the quality of their products to satisfy the needs of the various classes that exist in our society.
However, having a vibrant local manufacturing industry is not in the interest of local manufacturers alone. The government and the people of The Gambia stand to benefit when the local industry grows. Among other benefits, revenue will be accrued to The Gambia’s tax-dependent economy and more jobs will be created in a country where job opportunities are scarce.
Unfortunately, neither our policies and programmes nor the attitude of individual Gambians towards locally manufactured products sufficiently encourage the creation of a vibrant local manufacturing industry, capable of offering variety and quality.
The sad reality is that the local manufacturers are faced with a dilemma as they do not only have to contend with the rising and costly taxes, but also the seeming unchecked mass importation of similar products being produced locally. Those imported products bully local products out of the local market as consumers tend to rush for the imported ones because they are low-priced compared to the locally made ones.
Again, compared to, as well the high cost involved in the production of products locally, the taxes importers pay to flood their products into the local markets are cheaper. Plus the local manufacturers have to factor in their high expenditures when pricing their goods. These among others, put local producers at a disadvantage position.
As if that is not enough, matters for the local manufacturers are compounded by a population that feels that anything Gambian is not good, is of low standard, and of poor quality. This problem is deep-seated and entrenched in Gambian society, extending to even the services we offer. The norm is that a qualified Gambian painter or electrician is paid far less than an equally qualified non-Gambian painter or printer. This issue should be addressed.
Without doubt, efforts especially in recent times being made by Gambian authorities and other stakeholders towards addressing this problematic issue of looking low upon made-in- The Gambia products are paying some dividend.
For instance, a slight improvement from what used to obtain in the recent past, some made-in- The Gambia products could be found in the mini and supermarkets though in a small quantity. Also, thanks to organisations like Concern Universal, hotels are now buying for usage produce of the local horticultural gardeners instead of the imported ones.
Moreover, the recently concluded international trade fair saw The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a deliberate move, held the biennial event under a theme that sought to promote locally made products. This was despite the fact that the trade fair is an international event. In fact, the fair was preceded by a mini trade fair that also sought to promote locally made products.
Yet Gambians, in general, prefer imported products over made-in- The Gambia products even if they are of similar quality. Gambians need a re-direction and re-orientation on what it means to support one’s own. A sense of rational nationalism should be imbued in Gambians for them to develop an appreciation of made in The Gambia and be proud of being a Gambian.
It is only when we support Gambian initiatives and give priority to made-in-The Gambia products, which would have more trickles down effect ultimately on the public, then we will be able to build the great nation we aspire to have.
However, it should also be noted here that patronising made-in-The Gambia products should undoubtedly be accompanied by a strong backing from the state authorities through deliberate policies and programmes and if necessary, a legislation that would promote locally made products over imported ones. This should be done even if we are to be accused for box-clever.
Vision 2020 is at stake here. Every patriotic Gambian wishes the Jammeh administration’s target of transforming resource poor Gambia into a middle income country by 2020 to become a reality. But this cannot be achieved without an industrialised Gambia. Industries depend largely on local consumers for survival. We have to move towards an industrialised Gambia even if we are to transform or accompany our laudable back-to-the-land clarion call with some that would spur interest in this respect. For back-to-the-land is meaningless if farmers would harvest only for their produce to get spoiled even when it cost less than the budget of the festivals to add value to their produce.
Source: Daily News
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2012 : 12:47:48
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Dealers in Local Tie & Dye Raise Alarm on Fake ‘Ganila’
By Lamin Jahateh
Friday, February 17, 2012
 With a theme deliberately designed to promote locally made products, the recently concluded GCCI organised international trade fair witnessed strengthening of efforts to bolstering the local manufacturers.
From that of The Gambia’s vice president Isatou Njie Saidy to The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) boss, Almamy Fanding Taal, the opening remarks of the biennial event were bias towards made-in- The Gambia. This is despite the presence of international participants.
But the two week-long showcasing of products various dealers had on offer has left dealers in locally made tie and dye engulfed with frustration in their D7,000 dalasi acquired stalls.
Jainaba Drammeh, 25, was one of the exhibitors of locally made tie and dye at the fair grounds, the Independence Stadium in Bakau.
“Some people came here and asked whether I was selling a Mali-made tie dye,” she told The Daily News.
Gambian tie- dye and batiks locally called ‘chube’ are extravagant, rich in different shades of colour and are tailored into men’s Kaftans, women’s warambas, shirts, ladies blouses, as well as bed sheets, curtains and tablecloths.
Many are made by local women who produce the finished fabrics from their own homes using hot dye, oil drums and various techniques to produce abstract designs as well as animals, natural objects and people.
However, compared to the Mali-made ones, The Gambia-made Tie and dye are believed to be of lower quality. But Madam Drammeh disagreed. She hates it when people enter into her stall at the fair and asked: “Is this Malian chube? Is this Ganila?”
A bitterness she shared with many other dealers in locally-made tie and dye, she decried that most Gambians prefer to buy Mali-made tie and dye, even though the local ones are of equally, if not better quality.
Waving her hands in the air, she quizzed: “What is the Malian chube? We too can do better in this Gambia.”
Pointing at the tie and dye she had on offer at the fair, she added: “this is a quality ‘chube.’ I made it.”
Madam Drammeh alleged that some traders dealing in these Mali-made chubes are now taking advantage of the myth surrounding The Gambia-made vs Mali-made tie and dye.
“Some dealers now buy Tie and dye from us, make it nicely and sell it as ‘Ganila’,” she said, referring to the latest tie and dye brand.
“This is what many people do not understand; there is a secret. We can make quality chubes up to the Malian standard or even better. Let people buy pure Gambian chubes and compare them to some of the so-called Ganilas, they will see the difference.”
Madam Drammeh accused that some traders now buy the D300 chubes, which is among the lowest of quality local Chubes, package it and sell it for D500 under the guise that it is a second quality ‘Ganila’.
She alleged further: “And they will buy the other type for D500 or D600 from us, go and sell it for D2, 000 or more and tell the people that it is Ganila. They are fooling people. Most of the people are not aware of that.”
Ebrima Keita, a Gambian based Malian born, who was exhibiting Mali-made chube including Ganila at the fair would not accept claims that The Gambia made tie and dye are of similar quality to that of the Mali-made ones.
“My people back home send pure Mali-made chubes and Ganila for me to sell them. Their quality cannot be compared to that of The Gambia-made ones.”
He added: “I also make chubes here, but I sell those ones at the prices of the local ones and sell the ones from Mali at a higher price because they are of higher quality. I sell Ganila five meters for D3, 500 and four meters for D3, 000 but there is a discount.”
Jainaba and Ebrima were exhibiting from different stalls at the trade fair, although they were divided on the issue of the tie and dye, they both lamented there was low sales at the fair.
However, overall the trade fair was a relative success. So is the take of Mr Pansaw Nyassi, business development officer, GCCI.
“If you look at it holistically you can say it is successful because you have to do a broad analysis; look at the positive comments and the negative comments and weigh them. In that way, through our analysis we have more positive comments than negative comments. So the trade fair is a success.”
Source: Daily News |
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