Accra, Nov. 05, GNA - Ms. Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, on Thursday stated that her outfit was collaborating with the Ghana Standards Board and Food and Drugs Board to come out with high standard and quality Ghanaian products.

The collaboration, she added, would improve on production levels, attract both foreign and domestic consumers to patronize Ghanaian products and build consumer confidence in products of developing countries. Ms Tetteh said this at a workshop on Investment Selection and Policy in Ghana for investors, members of parliamentary select committees on Trade and Industry and Energy, and the business community from all the regions of the country.

The workshop, organized by the Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, was aimed at educating investors on investment potentials in the country and to find out the challenges that confront businesses. Ms Tetteh said the Ministry was also liaising with the Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Employers Association and Ghana Chamber of Commerce to empower the private sector as a real engine of growth. She appealed to international organizations, individuals and corporate bodies that had contributed towards the development of the private sector to tender in their inputs for a comprehensive and acceptable guideline for the industry.

Ms Tetteh said the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority would also be empowered to review the Promotion Act that would differentiate operations in ECOWAS member countries from other countries. She gave the assurance that the amendment would also pave way for the country to implement standardized rules in the exploration of oil in the country.

Mr Ford Kamel, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, said the timber industry accounted for about four percent of the gross domestic product and 11 percent of national export revenue with average revenue of about $212 million dollars.

He mentioned some of the investment potentials as the establishment of scale bamboo and rattan plantations, development of wood panel products and maximum use of by-products of wood.