Spio-Garbrah meets business community in N/R

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry(MoTI) has met with the business community in the Northern Region in a bid to connect them to relevant agencies under his Ministry to appropriately address their needs.

The meeting was also to enable the Minister and officials from MoTI hear from stakeholders about their impressions on government’s trade and industry policies to help improve on existing policies or come out with new ones to improve the sector.

It was held in Tamale on Monday and saw various agencies under MoTI in the region making presentations on their projects and activities while the business community also presented their activities and challenges.

The agencies included Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Development Fund, National Board for Small Scale Industries , Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS), Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Free Zones Board, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre amongst others while the business community was made up of mango, and shea butter processors, cotton producers, poultry farmers, amongst other agro-processors.

Dr Spio-Garbrah said agencies under the MoTI are running various initiatives to promote business development in the country but most of the private sector operators, who are supposed to be the main beneficiaries, are not aware of such initiatives hence the meeting.

He, therefore, urged businesses in the region to position themselves to fully take advantage of the many opportunities being created by the government to improve their performance and ensure sustainable business growth.

He said MoTI is promoting an export development strategy in various sectors including agriculture to stimulate the growth of the economy and urged especially players in the agricultural sector to add value to their produce through processing to ensure increased earnings.

A representative of the Association of Ghana Industries in the region urged the business community to join body to ensure that they continue to share information on opportunities available to the business community to promote their operations.

The Minister, later visited some companies in the region including Avnash Rice Plant, near Nyankpala, Sekaf Shea Butter Processing site also near Nyankpala, Teisuma Shea Butter Processing site, GRATIS and the ongoing construction of the Aboabo Market in Tamale.

He also called on Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna, Regional Minister.

Alhaji Limuna commended MoTI for supporting efforts at reconstructing the Aboabo Market in Tamale saying it would boost local investment and encourage others to invest in the area.