Almost 200 entrepreneurs and businesses have been certified in the Volta region to export to the African market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative.

This was facilitated under the National AfCFTA Coordination Secretariat and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Trade and Industry to connect entrepreneurs and businesses to trade among themselves on the continent.

Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, announced this during a media soiree organised by the Regional Coordinating Council.

He said the initiative opened the opportunity for businesses to export to the rest of the continent ‘quota free and duty free’ according to the tenets of the AfCFTA.

He said most of the businesses were being led by young entrepreneurs and first timers desirous of creating business empires, expand the frontiers of job creation and improve on the local economy.

He said the dividends of the Volta Fairs over the years was yielding positive economic results and progress with some entities making gains by already exporting directly to the US and the European markets was the toast of his expectations.

The Regional Minister mentioned Suncity Farms, headquartered at Ve-Deme in the Afadzato South District, which supplies Monarch Spices of all varieties to multinational supermarkets, including Walmarts and across the US.

Others are Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited and Farms, a leading exporter of fresh vegetables, roots, tubers and Fruits, Kawa Moka, Leklebi and Ziavitutu, notable for production of organic coffee, Del Christ, Volta Winery make the cut among others.

He acknowledged that his administration’s resolve to position the Region as a favourable tourism and economic destination was translating into reality as records attest to soaring figures.

Dr Letsa said, “Tourism numbers have gone up as well as revenue,” with the Region turning out as popular meeting hub for corporate Ghana, an attestation that “we are doing something right.”

Many organisations have resorted to Ho for their Annual General Meetings with offers on standby for 2024 already.

He said, “We have won the best Regional Coordination Council in the country, back-to-back-to-back,” and not ready to relinquish that.

The Minister said Volta remained the true microcosym of corporate Ghana, from the sea, landscape, forest, mountains, rivers and these would translate into creating jobs, industries at the back of the Region’s tourism potential.

He said the initiative, “Visit Volta Region, Experience Ghana” is a reality and urging investors to do business here.

“I was in Kenya and the US to woo investors to the Region and it’s just a matter of time for the gains to flourish,” he said.

On the Ho Aerodrome, Dr Letsa said aviation fuel drove PassionAir and AWA away from the route as they were not breaking even, which stemmed from poor patronage.

He announced that the government’s strategy to operationalise all domestic airports in the country expected to rebound the air flights between Ho and the rest of the country in the new year.

Dr Letsa said investors could not miss out on the Region when seeking partners.