About 40 Ghanaian firms and establishments are taking part in the 10-day Third ECOWAS Trade Fair in Lome, Togo.

Ms Esther Ofori, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC) speaking to the Ghana News Agency in the Togolese capital, Lome said the Ghanaian firms were partly sponsored to the fair by the government.

She said the government paid for the space and assisted in the transportation of wares.

Mrs Ofori said to facilitate their participation the fair organisers also subsidised their hotel rates.

She said the Ghanaian firms exhibiting at the fair were from the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, arts and crafts, furniture, textiles, aluminium, commerce and services sectors.

The Ghana Investment Centre (GIC), Export Promotion Council (EPC) the Free Zones Secretariat and Cocobod are also taking part in the fair, Ms Ofori said.

She said a lot of interest has been shown in Ghanaian products and expressed the hope that by the end of the fair Ghanaian firms would receive firm orders from countries within the West African Sub-Region to promote trade within member states of West Africa in line with the government's avowed aim of the "Golden Age Of Business".

At the stand of Accra based Domod Aluminium Limited, Mr Paul-Victor Avudzivi, Sales Promotion and Public Affairs Manager, said they were showcasing aluminium household items and non-stick cookware.

He said the Company participated in the two previous fairs in Dakar, Senegal and Accra, Ghana.

The Company, which operates in the free zones area, exports 70 per cent of its products to Togo, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Burikina Faso, Angola and Guinea and would be exporting to Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo soon.

Mr Bonso Abban, Brands Manager of GIHOC Distilleries, said the Company was exporting some alcoholic beverages to Nigeria, Togo and Benin and expects to penetrate other markets in the ECOWAS zone. Mr David Aryee, Sales Representative of Pioneer Aluminium Factory (PAF) of Tema, Ghana asked Heads of State to get committed to West African economic integration through the sensitisation of their citizens to patronise sub-regional products to break the monopoly of "France and America in our markets".

He said until West Africans became producers rather than consumers the efforts for economic integration in the sub-region for the progress of the people would remain on the drawing board.

Mr Aryee also asked for education for West African Customs officials for easy implementation of the ECOWAS trade liberalisation scheme, which is intended to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services across frontiers.

He said PAF, which participated in the Ghana Fair in 1999 was already exporting to Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Burkina Faso and said they hoped to expand to Siera Leone, Senegal, Congo Brazaville and Sao Tome and Principe.

Mr Aryee said dealers in their products from Nigeria, Congo Brazaville and Mali had contacted them at the Fair, adding that prospects for export trade looked encouraging.

Me Kenneth Mr Brew, Deputy Director of Research and Mr Chris Ewuah, Public Relations Manager of Cocobod said the Company was especially showcasing the results of its research findings.

On show are cocoa gin, brandy, vinegar, wine, jam all made from cocoa sweating as well as cocoa butter and soap.

Prominent at the Ghana stand are: Interplast, Ghana Cylinders Company, Aluworks and Graphic Packaging Limited.