Krobo Odumase launches beads festival
Odumase Krobo, July, 29, GNA - The first Ghana International
Beads Festival scheduled to take place in October has been
launched at Odumase Krobo with a call on all stakeholders
from both the private and public sectors to come together to
take a serious look at the beads industry and find a way of
addressing the numerous challenges confronting it.
The Deputy Minster for Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyentuah,
said the beads industry had the export potential to generate
foreign exchange for the country and that a well defined
strategy should be developed to sustain it.
He said his ministry had started some work on the
development of the industry and needs the complementary
support of other government agencies such as the district
assemblies and the private sector.
Mr Gyentuah said this involves the craft initiative being
implemented under the ministry’s Trade Sector Support
Programme.
Under this initiative, operations in the art, craft and
handicraft sector are being streamlined, regulated and
strengthened to make the industry locally and
internationally competitive.
The initiative is to ensure that craft villages are
established and well operated to cater for the needs of the
artisans.
He said in order to promote the sector the Ghana Standard
Board and the Environmental Protection Agency would be
called upon to monitor activities of the operators.
Mr Gyentuah said this was because activities undertaken by
the bead manufacturers as well as chemical ceramic dye
importers are of health and environmental concerns to the
manufacturer and the international market too.
He said that the Ghana beads industry is still at its infant
stage due to the fact that it faces many challenges which
make it difficult for the country to exploit the potentials
in the country.
Mr Gyentuah mentioned some of the challenges as beads makers
are not being given recognition despite the fact that their
trade attracts tourists and provides employment for hundreds
of people. The festival project officer, Mr E.B.T Sikapa,
said the major reasons for holding the festival is to open
up the country to cultural tourism using the bead as the
medium to develop Odumase Krobo into a rural tourism
destination of international repute.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, in an
address read on his behalf, appealed to the assembly and the
traditional council to liaise with other district assemblies
to create a big market not only to promote the sale of beads
but also to showcase their tourism potentials.
GNA
