Accra, Feb. 19, GNA- Nearly 1,000 local and foreign companies have registered to participate in this year's International Trade Fair making it the largest in the country's history.

The 750 local exhibitors and 161 foreign companies represent a significant increase in the number of exhibitors, products and companies to participate in such international fairs in Ghana.

This registration in the forthcoming 9th International Fair, scheduled for February 26 to March 8, has compelled the organisers Ghana Trade Fair Authority (GTFA), to reject late applications from both local and foreign companies because of lack of adequate space. Briefing journalists on Friday, Mr Gabriel Kamasa, Secretary to the Planning Committee said President John Agyekum Kufuor would be the guest of honour of the opening session of the fair.

The theme for the fair is "Charting New Frontiers for Trade and Investments".

He said the fair sought to deepen efforts in projecting Ghana as a safe haven for investments saying, "This year we have a whole pavilion solely for Ghanaian products to afford Ghanaian entrepreneurs the opportunity for prospective foreign buyers and investors to interact". Mr Kamasa said specific pavilions had also been allocated for local-based foreign companies as well as the numerous foreign companies from India, Malaysia, Italy, Egypt, and China.

There would also be an ECOWAS Pavilion, where countries within the sub-region would exhibit their products.

Mr Theodore Markham, who is in-charge of the foreign companies assured participants that everything had been done to ensure that the fair gained its expected international image through continuous contacts with foreign companies and advertisement on the Internet.

He said it was imperative that Ghana had permanent relationships with participating foreign companies and that, a programme package had been designed to ensure they become strategic partners in future fairs. Mr Markham said a series of workshops and seminars would be organised on the President's Special Initiatives (PSIs) the free-zone board to sell the idea and prospects to prospective foreign businessmen and women.

On security and internal arrangements, Mr Lawson Gidigasu, Director, Technical of GTFA said this year's preparations had been unique because of the improvement in the personnel and security gadgets mounted at strategic places.