Accra, March 8, GNA - Mr Allan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives said government would set up a National Product Gallery at the Ghana Trade Fair Site to serve as a permanent medium to showcase made in Ghana goods.

He said the facility: "would be serviced by a comprehensive electronic commerce information platform which will make it possible for the gallery to be used as a virtual electronic-sales point."

Mr Kyeremanten announced this at the closing ceremony of the 9th Ghana International Trade Fair on Monday in Accra.

The Minister gave the assurance that the authorities would continue to provide strategic guidance and support for the growth of small and medium scale enterprises and said the gallery project formed part of government's intention to transform the Site into a world-class international trade centre.

Mr Kyeremanten said this year's Fair was one of the most successful of all trade and exhibition fairs held in Ghana saying, "We set ourselves a target of attracting about 800 exhibitors but we exceeded it and went pass the 1,000 mark".

Mr Allan Kyeremanten lauded the large participation of ECOWAS countries and said, "This enviable feat would not have been achieved without the active participation of our brothers and sisters from the West African sub-region."

He noted that the extensive range and diversity of products showcased by local exhibitors and expressed the hope that Ghana's manufacturing sector would be on its way to a modest recovery. Ms Esther Ofori, Executive Director of the Ghana Trade Fair Centre, said generally, the fair had achieved its objective of charting new frontiers for trade partnership and investment and that out of the 1,042 exhibitors that participated, 705 were local companies and 337 foreign companies from Guinea, Nigeria Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin; Togo; Mali, Cote d I'voire and Sierra Leone one.

Ms Ofori said the Centre had taken note of any lapses during the fair and would take adequate measures to prevent their recurrence in the future and that the 10th Ghana International Trade Fair would be held in February-March, 2006.