Accra, May 6, GNA - An eleven-member Local Organizing Committee (LOC) was on Tuesday inaugurated in Accra to ensure effective organization of the Ghana EXPO 2008 event, scheduled for September in Italy. The Expo being organized by the Ghana-Italy Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Ghana Embassy in Rome would provide Ghanaians the opportunity to showcase their products on the European market from September 13 to 21.

Alhaji Ramadan Murtala Mohammed, President of the Ghana-Italy Chamber of Commerce said the committee, comprising experts in international trade fair management and export promotion would ensure that the expectations of all stakeholders were met.

He explained that the Expo would include a food fair, a cultural show to promote Ghanaian music, dance and fashion and a business forum to encourage Ghanaian and Italian business partnerships.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Expo, which would be on the theme: "Strengthening Ghana-Italy Relations through Trade", was in line with government's objective of making the private sector the engine of growth and further deepen the economic relations between the two countries. He said over 500 companies are expected to participate in the Expo at the Entre Fiera Promoberg in Bergamo, Italy, which would attract about a million visitors from Europe and Africa. Mr. Joe Baidoo-Ansah, Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiative in a speech read on his behalf said Ghana needed to diversify its export base by increasing non-traditional export to enable it to attain middle-income status by 2015.

He said the Ghana Expo was therefore one of such interventions to develop new markets for local products and services. He said the economic relations between Ghana and Italy had over the years been encouraging considering that 76 Italian companies were established in Ghana from 1994 to 2005. Mr Baidoo-Ansah pledged the Ministry's support and urged the LOC to do a good job to ensure a successful fair. Mr Tapha Tassah, Chairman of the LOC pledged the commitment of all its members and called for the support of other stakeholders whose services would be required to plan a successful trip. The members of the LOC are; Mr Alfred Asumadu, Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Ben Heh, MOTI, PSD and PSI, Mrs Akua Owusu Agyekum, Office of Parliament and Mr Edem Seshie, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. The others are Mr Paul Cudjoe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD and Mr Lams Gidigasu of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited.