Ten billion dollars expected from non traditional exports - Export Promotion Authority

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) will boost the export of Non-Traditional Exports (NTE) through its initiative, "One District, One Export Product" to rake in 10 billion dollars in four years to accelerate national development.

Mr. Eric Amoako Twum, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GEPA gave the hint when he met Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Coordinating Directors, Planning Officers, and other key stakeholders in the Central Region.

The meeting held at Jukwa on Thursday, was to deliberate on the implementation of the National Export Strategy vis-a-vis the 'One district, One exportable product', which would bring in foreign exchange earnings.

Mr Twum explained that the key tenets of the National Export Strategy document was to advocate, identify, promote and develop at least one exportable product to dovetail into the Government's flagship programme of 'One District, One factory' industrialisation drive.

In that vein, he mentioned measures to boost the NTEs to include engaging with committees in the districts to identify exportable products; setting up regional offices in all the 10 regions of the country as well as restructure the internal operations of the Authority, which had started in earnest.

The Authority would also establish technical services teams to offer on-time technical advice and support to farmers, producers and exporters, in addition to engaging design consultants to support the craft and creative industry to produce master craftsmen to help exporters meet export requirements.

In addition, it would strengthen collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the foremost science and technology institution in Ghana, to ensure that the necessary quality standards for the export market were maintained.

Mr Thomas Agyei Baffour, Deputy Central Regional Minister, expressed the commitment of the Regional Coordinating Council to provide an equal platform for all districts to identify exportable products in their localities to stimulate growth.

He commended the GEPA for initiating the programme to harness the economic potential of districts to increase their financial viability to aid the national transformation agenda.

To achieve this vision, he urged the MMDCEs to show greater commitment and adopt the policy guidelines under the Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to identify the products which could be harnessed to develop the economic potentials to help propel growth in their areas.

"The Almighty God was magnanimous to the Region and endowed it with numerous resources such as cocoa, pineapple, cassava, citrus, oil palm, vegetables, fish stock, gold and other minerals".

He said farmers in the Region were already into the production of exportable products such as chilli pepper, pineapple, eggplant and other exportable vegetables, adding that, they should work together to expand their capacities to create more wealth and jobs.

To that end, he encouraged all small-scale Agro processing businesses in the Region who were engaged in fruit processing to take full advantage of the GEPA offer to boost their businesses.