The Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Excellence (CLSCE) is to help improve the capacities export companies to overcome barriers to trade in the regional and international markets.

A statement issued in Accra by the Project Beneficiary Executive Director, Mr Emmanuel Turkson, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said it would take maximum advantage of existing opportunities offered by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and international trade agreements, particularly, the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.

It said this project aimed at building the capacity of CLSCE and other selected service providers in the field of Export Quality Management Systems and promoting the adoption of international standards among exporting companies in the selected sectors.

The project would be executed through a combination of training for trainers, coaching, mentoring and consultancy.

In the first stages of the project, selected trainees would be prepared on the concepts and methods of export quality management, the statement said.

It announced that a sensitisation seminar, which would be on Thursday, would focus on promoting the adoption of quality systems and certification schemes among key SMEs (Sectors: Logistics and Transport, Pharmaceuticals, Plastics and Rubber, Aluminum, Garments and Textiles).

This, it explained, would concretely assess their interest in acquiring and maintaining ISO 9001 certification.

Mr. Dario Salvatore Caccamisi, the Project Team Leader and an international expert with over 20 years of experience in Food/Agronomy and Quality Management Systems, is among the resource persons.

Additionally, Mr. Wolfgang Wiegel, an international expert specialising in Market Access and Export Development, with an extensive knowledge and experience in Business and Export Development Services, who is described as a key asset in the international export business, would be there.

Officials from Ghana Standards Authority and SGS Ghana would also enlighten participants on the process of obtaining ISO 9001 certification, the statement said.

The theme for the workshop is, “Strengthening the Competitiveness of Ghana-Based Exporters through Effective Export Quality Management Systems”.