Accra, May 19, GNA - An Accra-based advertising agency, Key Advertising is to organize an awards night in September for deserving organizations and individuals in the furniture and woodcarving industry. Dubbed: "FURNICARVE 2004", the event would be held under the theme: "Sustainable Development in the Wood Processing Industry - A key to Wealth Creation Through the Private Sector."

The Organizers said the event would aim at recognizing the efforts of individuals and companies that have contributed to the promotion of the wood procession industry as well as encouraging the use of well-preserved raw materials for production that could stand the test of time.

Mr Ebenezer Akuaku, Executive Director of Key Advertising, told newsmen that the awards night would bring to the fore the need to help sustain the country's fast depleting forest and to ensure availability of raw materials to sustain the wood industry. He stated that the country had excellent wood carvers and carpenters, whose efforts needed to be recognized, encouraged and introduced to the world market to enable them to compete with their counterparts all over the world.

Mr Akuaku said his outfit would liaise with the Ministry of Lands and Forestry; Ministry of Private Sector Development and Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City to ensure that more products of woodcarvers and carpenters were exported to earn the needed foreign exchange to boost the economy. He noted that the country could not continue to depend solely on the export of cocoa, coffee and a few other non-traditional crops.

Mr Akauku stated that if well harnessed, the woodcarving and furniture industry had the potential of redeeming the country from its economic hardships and called on all stakeholders to harmonise their efforts to develop the Sector. He said in this regard, a workshop would be held as part of the event to educate people in the industry about the proper ways of preserving wood and the importance of reforestation to ensure the sustainability of the wood procession industry.

In addition, a photo exhibition of some of the finest products of some woodcarvers and carpenters would be mounted to generate the interest of both Ghanaians and foreigners in Ghanaian artefacts. Mr Akauku said that the awards night would be his outfit's modest contribution to the development of the private sector and called on all stakeholders in the wood processing industry to assist them to make their dream a reality. He said they intended to seek collaboration with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and Ghana Export Promotion Centre to ensure that Ghanaian-processed wood products reached every part of the world.

Mr Akuaku said Key Advertising Agency would organize FUNICARVE every year to ensure competitiveness in the wood processing industry.