US representative's thumbs up to Ghana for AGOA initiative

Scott A Nathan, special representative, commercial and business affairs of the US Department of State, has expressed delight at the growth of companies under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), according to media reports in Ghana.

During a recent visit to DTRT Apparel, one of the textiles companies benefiting under AGOA initiative in Accra, he also urged the government to provide the enabling environment for joint venture businesses such as DTRT to thrive. . Nathan visited the factory to familiarize with activities of the AGOA beneficiary and also to familiarize himself with current developments at the factory.

Together with his team from the American Embassy in Accra, Nathan visited the various sections and departments of the factory to see firsthand, how the manufacturing of textiles for the US market was done.

“I am very impressed. I enjoyed our conversation, and I very much enjoyed the tour and thought that it was very instructive to see what is being done here. This is a real accomplishment and I congratulate the team here at Dignity and the Ghanaians who work here. It is really a great thing to see the scale and also the opportunity to grow”, Nathan said at a press briefing later.

He stressed that though there were challenges facing the company, he believed they presented the opportunity for growth.“There are challenges but challenges and opportunities come together for growth. This is without question the sort of thing the US wants to support and has been supportive whether it’s through our West African trade hub which helps make some of the initial introductions through the ongoing roles in helping with grant application or resolving any sort of technical issues related to export that always come often. And AGOA is a critical part of the opportunity here. This is an example of what the US takes very seriously and is supportive of”, he said.

The US special representative explained that the efforts by the US to support companies grow was in the larger context of its commitment to Ghana which is a very important American partner.

He said that the fact that Ghana was the largest recipient of USAID in West Africa was proof of what critical trading partner the country was to the US.

AGOA is an initiative of the US government to provide market access to eligible sub-saharan African countries to enter the US market. AGOA provides trade preferences for quota and duty-free entry into the United States for certain goods, expanding the benefits under the generalized system of preferences (GSP) programme.