The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) on Tuesday launched the second edition of the Ghana UK-Based Achievements (GUBA) Expo in Accra.

Dubbed the “GUBA EXPO 2016”, the annual event is slated for May 20 to May 22 at Greenwich in the United Kingdom.

The EXPO, founded by GUBA Awards Limited, provides the platform for entrepreneurs to engage and share ideas that promote trade and investment between Ghana and UK.

Speaking at the launch, Madam Dentaa Amoateng, Chief Executive Officer, GUBA, said the EXPO was created in 2014 to provide a platform for African developers to showcase their services, connect buyers and suppliers as well as create a platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to increase their marketing standards globally.

She said the 2016 edition, which would be a three- day event sought to make Ghanaian businesses access the UK market as well as deepen Ghana’s ties with the UK.

“The 2016 EXPO comes with seminars, workshops and exhibitions that will promote Made in Ghana products and services, create awareness and prestige for products and services,” she said.

Mr Nathaniel O. Quarcoopome, Director, Finance and Administration, AGI, lauded GUBA for the business to business EXPO that served as a platform of recognising achievements of Ghanaians especially SMEs and supporters of the community.

He said SMEs constituted an important nexus in Ghana’s industrial cluster and contribute significantly to employment across the world and so creating such a business opportunity platform for them is worthwhile.

He noted that though the SMEs constitutes more than 80 per cent of businesses in Ghana and contributes a high percentage to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, a good majority of the SMEs fall short when it comes to the growth and expansion of their businesses.

Mr Quarcoopome called on stakeholders to collaborate with GUBA for business to graduate from small to medium, and thence to industrial giants as the long-term benefits would be bigger.

He also urged Ghanaians to look at the area of possible match making and industrial sub-contracting arrangements.

“Our businesses also need to re-organise and re-position themselves to improve their capacities to deliver both in quantity and quality,” he said.

He therefore pledged AGI’s commitments to continue to support GUBA for its goal to be a worthy one for the country’s development.

Councilor John Fahy, Deputy Leader, Royal Borough of Greenwich, said the opportunity between Ghana and UK is vast and it requires a workforce and personalities that have the skills to develop ideas.

He said over the years, the UK has discovered Ghana as an ambitious community which is poised at developing and improving the lives of communities and the GUBA EXPO was a clear evident.

Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, noted that the EXPO would provide the platform for Ghanaian and African inspired products to be showcased, that is creating an opportunity for and business development for Small and Medium Sized Businesses, as well as suppliers and prospects for larger organisations.

Mr Jon Benjamin, British High Commissioner, said the business relationship between Ghana and UK represents another major aspect of the excellent bilateral relations.

GUBA is a business to business EXPO that provides a platform to recognise the achievements of Ghanaians especially SMEs and supporters of the community.