Industrial stakeholders such as the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), and Melcom Group participated in the campaign.
The launch ceremony involved an outreach programme where FDA officials interacted with buyers from the various supermarkets in Koforidua township and explained to them the need to purchase made in Ghana products and patronize the Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS).
Ms. Anita Owusu-Kuffour, the Eastern Regional Head of the FDA, said the Buy Ghana, Love Ghana campaign initiative aimed at promoting the local economy for a sustainable development which could be achieved by patronizing the existing businesses and creating more to boost industrial growth.
This would reduce import dependence and build national pride, she said.
She said the FDA collaborates with industry stakeholders to enhance market access to made in Ghana products through public awareness campaigns, certification programmes, and export facilitation efforts which streamline and simplify the procedural measures involving exportation.
Also, Ms. Owusu-Kuffour encouraged the public to patronize the Progressive Licensing Scheme that provides technical guidance, training, and phased regulatory approvals to help the local manufacturers meet their production standards.
Through phased regulatory approvals, compliance requirements are broken down into manageable steps, and that allow businesses to make incremental improvements in quality control, facility upgrades, and adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), She said.
At Melcom Supermarket, there were shelves reserved for made in Ghana products. The products were foodstuffs, vegetables, cereals, fruits, and carved wood products.
Mr. Eric Obeng, Acting Eastern Regional Manager of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, urged Ghanaians to have a taste for made in Ghana products.
Mr. Desmond Akuffo, from Profa Foods, a cereal production company, acknowledged the benefits of the Progressive Licensing Scheme, making them to supply their products to some of the renowned supermarkets in the region.
He urged the rest of the manufacturing companies who were not on the scheme to patronize it to avoid having issues with the FDA, and other law enforcement agencies.
GNA
