GLFMA Demand Duty Relief

The Ghana Leather and Footwear Manufacturers Association (GLFMA) has petitioned Parliament to grant customs duty relief on raw materials imported for use by local leather and footwear manufacturers.

The Association says the current tariff regime is imposing an unfair burden on local producers and threatening the competitiveness of the domestic leather and footwear industry.

In a memorandum submitted to the Clerk to Parliament on August 28, 2026, the GLFMA called for urgent policy intervention under Chapter 98 to provide duty relief for key raw manufacturing inputs.

The affected materials include leather sheets, soles, rubber, adhesives and other essential inputs used in the production of footwear.

According to the Association, the raw materials attract cumulative port duties of up to 36.1 per cent, resulting in increased production costs for local manufacturers.

The GLFMA described the situation as an “inverted tariff structure,” arguing that imported raw materials face high duties while foreign finished footwear can enter the Ghanaian market under lower effective tariffs or through misclassification.

The Association contends that the situation is making it difficult for local manufacturers to compete with imported footwear and could undermine jobs, investment and efforts to promote domestic manufacturing.

12,000 ARTISANS

The GLFMA, which represents more than 12,000 registered artisans operating across over 3,300 manufacturing workshops, said urgent action was required to safeguard the sector.

It said reducing duties on raw materials would help manufacturers lower their production costs, improve competitiveness and expand their operations.

The Association submitted a memorandum and executive brief titled “Urgent Policy Intervention: Customs Duty Relief under Chapter 98 for Raw Material Inputs in the Local Leather and Footwear Manufacturing Sector.”

The document contains baseline data, economic impact projections and policy proposals aimed at addressing the tariff challenges confronting the industry.

PETITION

The Association is urging the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism to consider the memorandum during its upcoming sittings.

It has also expressed readiness to appear before the Committee to make an oral presentation and respond to technical questions on its proposals.

GLFMA President, Gilbert Akwasi Ntim, submitted 20 copies of the memorandum to the Parliamentary Service for onward distribution to the Committee Secretariat.

Mr. Ntim appealed for the prompt consideration of the document, stressing the need for measures to make the local leather and footwear industry more competitive.

The Association believes that duty relief on critical raw materials would help protect local manufacturing jobs, promote domestic production and reduce pressure on the country’s foreign exchange resources.