Ghana Exports Promotion Authority (GEPA) is aiming at increasing the value of Ghana’s Non-Traditional Exports to $ 5 billion by 2015.
This, it believes, it can do by increasing the export base of the country, which if successful, would see the export sector becoming more vibrant than it is today.
Speaking to the Financial Intelligence after the presentation ceremony of Marketing Plans to Pilot SME’s in Accra last week, Chief Executive Officer of the GEPA, Kwodwo Owusu Agyeman said the target was achievable, because the authority was going to undertake vigorous development initiatives in the sector to broaden the export base of the country.
The presentation ceremony marked the end of a six month-long training programme, which aimed at enhancing easier access of Ghanaian exports to the European Union (EU) markets, and was a product of collaboration between the GEPA and the Netherlands Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) of Netherlands.
“Hitherto, we have been concerned mainly with exports, but now, we are bringing in enterprise development and increasing the supply base thereby,” the CEO disclosed.
To do this, Mr. Owusu Agyeman said the authority would help industry players to do quality packaging, and help them to re-invest their earnings in their enterprises, so that export would be supported by a vibrant supply base.
In this regard, he said the authority believes it needs to forge closer ties with the Ministry of Agriculture to help farmers determine what they need to grow, while the authority comes in with issues relating to packaging so as to make products acceptable to the European market standards.
The CEO also called for the establishment of an Export Clearing House for the country, just as COCOBOD promotes cocoa sector development, which will promote the development of the non-traditional export sector of the economy.
This, move he believes would create the needed environment for the expansion of Ghana’s export base.
According to him, the Export Development Initiative Fund (EDIF) has not been properly marketed to give it the necessary exposure.
“EDIF has the funds to support the export base but many of the export sector players are not aware.”
He therefore called on those in charge of the fund to carry out enough public education to attract the needed patronage.
An expert from CBI on International Trade Development and Strategies, Lambert Verhulst also told the Financial Intelligence that CBI considers GEPA as the apex of export development and Regulation in Ghana, and so they found it fit to help equip its staffs and stake-holders in developing the marketing skills of the exporters in Ghana.
“Increased production alone is not the panacea for high revenue but proper planning to make the products appealing and attractive to a wider degree of customers,” Mr.Verhulst noted.
He believes the training offers enhanced capacities of participants to improve their trade on the international market.
Earlier, in a Keynote address, the CEO said the GEPA “is poised to turn around the non-traditional export sector by entering into strategic alliances and partnerships with world-class organizations to boost the country's level at the EU markets, which is Ghana’s single largest trade partner contributing about 40% to Ghana’s export earnings.
He said this year, the GEPA would again partner with the CBI to implement a Business Support Organization Development module called Strategic Planning to strengthen its corporate capacities in export development and promotion towards Europe.
Source: Financial Intelligence (Justice Lee Adoboe) www.fighana.com