The President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), Stephane Miezan, has called on the private sector to take advantage of emerging opportunities under the government’s industrialisation agenda, stressing that increasing exports and creating sustainable jobs must remain a national priority.
Speaking at the CEOs Business Forum on the 24-Hour Economy on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, he noted that access to funding and stronger private sector participation would be critical to achieving these goals.
According to Miezan, efforts are underway to improve financing for businesses through the banking sector, thereby supporting private enterprises.
“We are going to give the private sector some sources of funding from Republic Bank,” he said, adding that improved access to capital would enable businesses to expand and contribute more significantly to the country’s economic transformation.
Supreme Court halts ruling restoring GN Savings and Loans' licence
Highlighting Ghana’s export performance, Miezan said his assessment of the country’s export data over the past five years showed encouraging growth in the non-traditional export sector.
“I tried to do that analysis for the past five years and did some averages. I realised that, on average, the value of our non-traditional exports is about 16 percent, while traditional exports account for about 84 percent,” he stated.
He explained that Ghana exported goods worth approximately US$31 billion in 2025, with non-traditional exports contributing around US$5 billion.
“Last year, Ghana exported US$31 billion worth of goods. Out of that, US$5 billion, which is about 16 percent, came from non-traditional exports, while about US$26 billion came from traditional exports such as gold, cocoa, timber, and crude oil,” Miezan noted.
He further said the figures underscore the need to accelerate industrialisation to diversify Ghana’s export base and reduce dependence on traditional commodities.
“It has become important to industrialise because industrialising nations create jobs. We also need to move from poverty reduction to creating work,” he stressed.
He argued that Ghana must shift its economic focus towards production and export-led growth.
“Last but not least, we need to move from consumption to exports,” Miezan said, maintaining that expanding non-traditional exports would strengthen the economy and improve livelihoods.
Describing himself as “a private sector practitioner,” Miezan reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to supporting businesses to seize new opportunities.
“My responsibility is to identify opportunities for the private sector. As President of the private sector, I will ensure businesses take advantage of those opportunities, contribute to the successful implementation of government initiatives, and create more jobs and opportunities for our people,” he said.
ANAS/MA
Rising cost of politics threatens democracy in Africa — CDD-Ghana
Copyright © 1994 - 2026 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
