The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mahami Salifu has advised craft and basket weavers to be more innovative and improve on the quality of their products to enable them compete favourably on the international market.

Mr Salifu said revenue generated from the export of Bolga baskets yielded 492,031 dollars last year, down from 3.8 million dollars in 2001.

He was speaking at the 2nd Bolga Basket Fair dubbed: "Bobafair 2003" at Bolgatanga to award outstanding craftsmen and women. It was organised by the regional office of the Ghana Export Promotion Council and sponsored by the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and other donors in the region.

Mr Salifu was happy that the Ghana Export Promotion Council and other stakeholders were putting together various schemes to improve the craft industry in the area.

He said Bolgatanga had been selected as one of the craft villages in the country and assured weavers that straw plantations would be established at Bongo and Navrongo to provide raw materials for the basket.

The regional director of EPC, Miss Mariam Mensah, said the council aimed at fostering close relationship with exporters and producers to achieve better results.