GEPA holds second training session for exporters

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), is holding a second session of training for 35 participants drawn from financial and other sectors in export marketing fundamentals.

The aim of the workshop is to support the export community to acquire managerial, technical and trade capacity as well as understand the current global export trends to give Ghana a competitive edge.

Mr Stephen Normeshie, the acting Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, speaking at the opening session said exports remain key to the development of the country and dealing with foreign exchange constraints.

It is in this direction that the Authority would scale up marketing training programmes for exporters to enhance capacity and ensure they meet required standards in the global market.

He said the Ghana Export School is always ready to develop training modules to meet the needs of product associations and identify group of persons.

Mr Normeshie said building the skills and capacities of exporters is very critical if the country’s goal of increasing export returns is to be achieved.

He said exporters need to be schooled on recent trends and changes in the export market in order to remain competitive and also help the country to grow its export base.

Among the topics being treated are Export Marketing Research, Product Planning and Product Adaptation, Legal Contracts and Negotiations, Sanitary and Photosanitary Specification and Export Procedures and Documentation.

Giving a gist of the performance of the Non Traditional Exports sector, Mr Normeshie said exports grew steadily at an annual average rate of about 14.79 per cent from $ 777.59 million in 2005 to $ 2.514 billion in 2014.

However, in 2012 the total earnings saw a decline in earnings to $2.364 billion from $2.423 billion in 2011.

In 2013, earnings from the sector went up by 3.05 per cent to $2.436 billion.

Mr Normeshie said the statistics showed that there is the need to ensure that the sector’s growth is doubled and sustained since the sector hold the best prospect for rapid economic development.

He expressed the hope that the training would provide the opportunity to contribute towards a much stronger sector.

The Ghana Export School was set up by GEPA, the National Export Trade Support Institution of the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for the facilitation, development and promotion of Ghanaian exports in 1987, to address the training needs of the export community.