General News of Saturday, 19 October 2002

Source:  

Sierra Leoneans rush for Ghana goods at fair

Ghanaian goods, especially those manufactured by Unilever, on displayed at the on-going mini-fair in Freetown have been enjoying high patronage since it opened on Thursday as part of activities marking Ghana-Sierra Leone week.

The fair is to showcase Ghanaian products and make the necessary contact with Sierra Leonean businessmen to enter into joint ventures with Ghanaians.

Miss Lynda Opoku, Export Manager of Unilever, told the GNA that there is such a rush for the company's products that she has to find a way to avoid the goods being sold out before the fair ends.

She said the exhibits at the fair, which include Key Soap, Rexona, Omo and detergents, were cheaper than those on the Sierra Leonean market, because they were duty free.

She emphasised that there would be greater trade among West African countries if the 75 per cent duty on imported soap under the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme could be waived.

Mr Lawson Gidigasu, General Manager (Operations) of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, said the trade liberalization issue would be a topic to be discussed at an investment forum on October 22 during the Fair.

Mr Godfred Funtor, Research and Training Specialist with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, said there has been a lot of enquiries at the stand of Domod Limited for aluminium products.