Textile workers declare war on Chinese importer

Angry textile workers in Ghana have threatened to fish out the whereabouts of a Chinese textile importer who is said to have been flooding the Ghanaian market with cheap textiles from China, which practice renders Ghanaians fabrics 8uncompetitive on the market.

The workers say the smugglings of cloth into the country, which is spearheaded by the Chinese; Zang Yong Quin is largely responsible for the collapse of the textile industry in the country.

The workers have threatened to teach the Chinese a lesson to deter him from using his smuggling tactics to throw them out of job.

Reports say the aggrieved workers are looking for the residence of the Chinese importer who is said to be residing in East Legon to lynch him and subsequently trace all Ghanaian agents to team them a lesson to nip in the bud what they termed as his nefarious business practice.

Mr. Quin is said to have been spotted in Accra last week after going into hiding sometime last year when there was apprehension over the flooding of the Ghanaian textile market through his Ghanaian agents with cheap fabrics from Ghana.

Speaking in an interview with the Fields Operations Officer of the Textiles, Garments and Leather Workers Union (TEGLEU) says the Mr. Quin's is back because he now sees that atmosphere as very congenial and conducive to perpetrate his illegal business.

He says government has not been able to come out with comprehensive policy to check on dumping through smuggling and as the agitation over Mr. Quin's activities had subsided, he sees it as an opportunity to clandestinely resume his smuggling operations with his syndicate of Ghanaian textile businessmen and women.

The workers say since government has failed to combat smuggling with its attendant implications for Ghanaian business especially the textile industry, they will form a vigilante group as a way of curbing the practice of smuggling.

It will be recalled that the flooding of the Ghanaian market with Chinese fabrics became an issue in the latter part of 2003 and the early part of 2004, forcing Mr. Quin to flee Ghana to neighbouring Togo.

Mr. Quin was said to be monitoring the Ghanaian situation from Togo, his hideout he was spotted in Accra last week in the company of some Ghanaians busily re-establishing business link in a bid to re launch his smuggling business.

General secretary of TEGLEU, Abraham Koomson, says the sub committee of the National Tripartite Committee set up by government to deal with the issue of textile smuggling and dumping of foreign textile on the Ghanaian market has shown a deep sense of commitment to resolving the problem.