Agencies under Trade Ministry asked to collaborate efforts

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA -The Minister of Trade and Industry, Madam Hannah Tetteh, has appealed to agencies and organisations under the Ministry to collaborate for the implementation of government policies to prevent duplication and waste of resources.

She said this year; the Ministry would execute Industrial Sector Support Programmes, Private Sector Development Support II, and introduce Ghana Commodity Exchange, to boost the country’s agricultural production.

Madam Tetteh was speaking at the opening of a three-day Annual Review Workshop, organised for 50 officials of the Ministry, Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, and other stakeholders, in Ho on Thursday.

The event would enable the Ministry to take stock of its implemented programmes, projects, and activities, and reckon achievements against targets for last year.

Madam Tetteh said the presence of members of the Select Committee at the workshop was to foster understanding and a better appreciation of the Ministry’s work.

She charged officials of the Ministry to impact their knowledge and experiences on their subordinates, and to ensure that they worked according to the objects of the sector.

The Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, commended Madam Tetteh for involving the members of the Committee in the activities of the Ministry, which he said had helped them to have a fairer understanding of operations of the Ministry.

He said: “Not only that, but the rapport and straightening of issues have helped a lot, and this has prevented personnel of the Ministry from appearing before the Committee to answer questions.”

The Chief Director of the Ministry, Nii Ansah-Adjaye, said the workshop served as a transition from the Trade Sector Support Programme to the Industrial Sector Support Programme, whose implementation takes off this year and expected to run for the next five years.

He said after the launch of the Industrial Sector Support Programme in June 2011, the Ministry focused on initiating governance structures and supported units required to facilitate the implementation.

Nii Ansah-Adjaye said once these structures had been put in place, the Ministry would ensure the implementation of the policy this year.

He charged participants to gear themselves up for the smooth take-off of the programme, and said: “when the review of the Trade Sector Support Programme has been done, programmes that were not completed would be integrated into the Industrial Sector Support Programme.”