Accra, July 8, GNA - Ms Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, on Wednesday tasked the Board of Directors of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, to critically examine the company's core functions and initiate strategic policy that would transform it to a rapid and sustainable commercial entity.

She said over the years, the quality and patronage of the fairs organised by the Company had been going down drastically and stressed the need for management to move away from the traditional buying and selling trade and concentrate more on business promotion and the introduction of more focused trade shows and specialized fairs. Inaugurating a nine-member board, under the Chairmanship of Naval Captain Kwadjo Butah (Rtd), in Accra Ms Tetteh said government was aware that all structures and facilities at the centre, which constitutes the Company's assets required complete rehabilitation and in most cases reconstruction.

She said that would require the raising of both short and long term capital to execute the works and urged the board to reconsider organizing fairs in other parts of the country to open up those areas to generate enough revenue for the project.

The Minister reminded the board of the pending issues concerning the payment of compensation to the landowners, the perfection of the company's title to the land and other related matters and asked the members to discuss and come out with appropriate recommendations to the Ministry for consideration.

"I wish to remind you that the Trade Fair Centre constitutes a strategic trade promotion infrastructure and its growth and development would have a positive impact on the growth and promotion of Ghana's internal and external trade, the growth of the private sector and the development of small and medium scale entrepreneurs. "We are confident, that with the level of the experience you and the members have acquired over the years, you would rise up to the occasion and work hard to transform the company and the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre into an enviable edifice that we shall all be proud of," she added.

Naval Captain Butah pledged the commitment of members to ensure that the company once again stand on its feet. "We are aware of the filth that has engulfed the place and we are going to clean all the dirt and get the place going," he said, adding members would endeavour to transform the company into a better one. Nii Kpobi Tetteh Tsuru III, a member of the board, also pledged their support to ensure that the company is run in a manner to benefit all Ghanaians.

"Colleagues, we are going to do the work and with God's help we will come out successfully," he said. The company is a trade promotion agency, which has developmental and promotional functions, organises events and engage in facility management.

Other members on the board are Mr Fifi Komey, Ms Benedicta S. Okity Dua, Mr Wusu Manga, Mr Edwin Otoo, Mrs Sheila Mintah, Mrs Rose Opey and Mr Chester Anie. 08 July 09