Ghana Timber Trade and Industry Association Appeals to Government to Revive Ghana’s Forgotten Timber Industry and End Furniture Importation
The Ghana Timber Trade and Industry Association (GTTIA) has appealed to the Government of Ghana to urgently revive the country’s timber industry, describing it as a forgotten but critical sector whose contributions to national development cannot be overlooked. The appeal was made by the Acting President of the Association, Mr. Alexander Kingsfred Dadzie, during the official launch and endorsement of the Association’s Constitution and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Mr. Dadzie traced the roots of Ghana’s timber industry back to 1952, noting that the sector has played a vital role in economic growth, infrastructure expansion and employment creation. He explained that timber operators were instrumental in opening up access roads across the country, with nearly 30 per cent of Ghana’s road network initially created through timber activities to facilitate trade and community development.
Despite these contributions, Mr. Dadzie lamented that the timber industry has gradually become sidelined in national development planning. He expressed concern over the continued importation of furniture for state institutions, including Parliament and ministries, at a time when Ghana has skilled carpenters and modern factories capable of producing high-quality furniture locally.
“It is very sad and disheartening that when Parliament and other state institutions need furniture, government looks abroad, importing chairs and fittings, while our local manufacturers have the capacity to deliver to international standards,” he said. “The timber industry is a development partner, not a forgotten sector, and it deserves deliberate support from government.”
The Acting President urged government to channel all furniture contracts for public institutions through local manufacturers under the Ghana Timber Trade and Industry Association, stressing that such a move would promote value addition, create jobs, reduce imports and strengthen the local economy.
He also identified illegal chainsaw operations and illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as major threats undermining the survival of the industry. According to him, these activities are rapidly depleting forest resources and destroying water bodies, thereby collapsing legitimate timber businesses. He assured that GTTIA, which brings together 15 timber-related associations under one umbrella, is committed to working with government to combat these challenges.
“If we fight together, we will succeed. If we fight separately, we will fail,” Mr. Dadzie emphasized, calling on all timber operators yet to join the Association to come on board and strengthen the collective fight to protect the industry.
Supporting the call, Mr. Renors Debra, Acting President of the Ghana Timber Industry (GTI) and a member of the Wood Workers Association of Ghana, said the formation of GTTIA presents a renewed opportunity for the timber sector to receive the attention and support it deserves. He criticised government policies that favour metal furniture in public institutions, arguing that such decisions directly undermine the livelihoods of local woodworkers.
“Government furniture contracts should be given to local woodworkers. Supporting wooden furniture production will sustain jobs, protect skills and keep money within the local economy,” Mr. Debra stated. He further called for intensified efforts to fight illegal mining in order to protect forest resources and appealed for government intervention over what he described as frequent harassment of timber operators at police checkpoints during the transportation of timber products.
In his remarks, the Acting General Secretary and Acting Coordinator of the Ghana Timber Trade and Industry Association, Mr. Kofi Afreh Boakye, lamented the decline of an industry that once stood firmly on its own. He recalled that in the past, timber operators were allocated forest compartment lands, harvested timber responsibly and paid taxes that contributed significantly to national development. According to him, the politicisation of these lands has deprived genuine operators of access to raw materials, as some allocations end up in the hands of non-operators.
Mr. Afreh Boakye further warned that the activities of chainsaw operators and illegal miners are destroying timber resources and collapsing legitimate businesses. He noted, however, that the Association remains ready to collaborate with government to fight galamsey and restore the timber industry to its former strength.
The launch of the GTTIA Constitution and MoU marks a major milestone in efforts to unify the timber industry and reposition it as a strategic partner in Ghana’s development. Stakeholders at the event expressed optimism that with the right policies, strong government support and collective action, the timber industry can regain its lost prominence and continue to contribute meaningfully to economic growth, employment creation and sustainable forest management in Ghana.
