Local carpenters at the Oforikrom suburb of Kumasi are appealing to the government for support as their businesses continue to suffer due to the growing popularity of imported Chinese furniture.
They believe the government’s intervention is the only way to keep their vocation alive as they face slow sales and limited resources while struggling to compete with foreign-made products.
A major concern is the perception of Ghanaian patrons that foreign furniture is of superior quality to the locally produced.
According to the carpenters, most of the imported Chinese furniture sets are made from chipboard, a material that is less durable compared to hardwood used locally, such as the redwood and ‘Dabema wood’ known as ‘Dahoma’.
Emmanuel Asare is an experienced carpenter in Oforikrom. Though he still has some loyal customers, he only produces furniture when requested.
“I’m not bothered about Ghanaians purchasing Chinese-made furniture because my customers always bring me new customers to buy from me,” he said.
He explained that he avoids producing furniture in advance because of the high cost of wood and other materials, which could lead to losses if the items are not sold.
He pleaded with Ghanaians to value local furniture due to their quality.
Another carpenter, Rockson Asare, shared his frustration about the lack of attention from the government towards their industry.
“The government is not turning attention to locally made furniture,” he said.
He also observed the absence of standard showrooms to display their works as a major problem. They display their furniture in the open sun, which adversely impacts quality and appeal over time.
Rockson says some of their products can sit unsold for over a year, forcing them to spend more money replacing leather or changing materials to make them attractive again.
He admitted that the finishing of their furniture is not always up to standard, compared to the imported pieces. But he explained this is due to the high cost of machines needed to aid finishing.
“As for now, the market is extremely bad. We can sit here from morning to evening and no one will come and buy or ask anything,” he said. “Because of that, I most of the time don’t want to come to work when I realize I don’t have enough money for transportation.”
To prove the quality of their work, many carpenters spend more than GHC 100,000 creating sample pieces to attract customers. But often, these pieces remain unsold for long periods, and they have to spend even more on repairs or replacements. This makes the business even harder for them to sustain.
“Chinese people also come to buy the furniture we make here,” said Ofori, pointing out that this shows the quality of their work is not as bad as many people think.
Prices of local furniture range from GHC 7,000 to GHC 10,000, while some imported sets start at GHC 40,000, yet many Ghanaians still prefer the foreign ones.
Ofori explained that though the local carpenters produce manually, they do not compromise on quality.
All three carpenters are asking the government to help by providing the necessary machinery and standard showroom for them to display their products.
They believe with such support their businesses can grow and gain the attention they deserve. Without such help, they fear that the local furniture industry will continue to decline, and many skilled workers will be forced out of the vocation.