The Ashanti Regional Office of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) in Kumasi has received an urgent petition from the Ghana Leather and Footwear Manufacturers Association (GLFMA) regarding the impact of substandard imported footwear on the local industry.

In the petition, addressed to the Director-General through the Regional Office, the GLFMA raised concerns about the increasing influx of low-quality synthetic shoes being imported into Ghana. Although these products are marketed as durable and attractively priced, the Association claims they often fail within weeks, resulting in consumer dissatisfaction and financial losses.

The GLFMA argues that the artificially low prices of these disposable imports create unfair competition for domestic leather manufacturers, whose higher-quality products struggle to compete on price. The Association further highlighted that the widespread disposal of non-biodegradable footwear contributes significantly to environmental pollution, as the items frequently end up in gutters and landfills.

To address these concerns, the GLFMA is urging the GSA to:

• Establish and enforce minimum durability standards for all imported footwear.
• Implement stricter physical inspections of synthetic footwear shipments at Ghana’s borders to ensure compliance with local standards and climate conditions.

Upon receiving the petition, the Regional Manager reiterated the Authority’s role in developing standards and conducting market surveillance. He assured the Association that the petition would be forwarded to the Director-General for consideration and that appropriate action would be taken to address the concerns raised by the GLFMA.

Story filed by Uncle Ebo Biney.