Business owners in Ashanti Region prepped on AfCFTA

Government through the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has begun engaging private business owners in the Ashanti Region on the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  and the National Export Development Strategy through a regional conference.

Ghanaian Businesses are being urged to take full advantage of the initiatives to enable Ghana strategically position itself in global trade.

The regional conference on the implementation of the agreement which will be replicated nationwide will afford businesses the opportunity to seek clarity on the Continental Free Trade Area and how they can penetrate the market.

Speaking at the conference in Kumasi, a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Robert Ahomka-Lindsay said government will ensure it empowers Ghanaian businesses to be able to represent the country in the free trade area.

“We will empower Ghanaian businesses to harness the benefit of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement under the framework of the National Export Strategy. We want you to know what you need to do to take full advantage for your business in all the fifty-four African countries that are part of AfCFTA.  We know we have opportunities, skill sets and various businesses that have the potential, but we need to put infrastructure that allows us to take advantage of that and what the National Export Development Authority is doing”.

He added, “Currently we are exporting about 1.4 billion dollars and although we are growing our terms of export from Ghana, to the continent of about 10 percent per year, more needs to be done because the opportunities are huge”.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority has reiterated its proposal for a one district one product program to provide the needed raw materials to feed existing factories to boost export.

According to the authority’s Chief Executive, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, GEPA is ready to help all businesses in this regard.

“It is expected in Ghana that each district should develop at least one exportable product that will provide the needed raw materials to feed the expanding number of factories being established under GEPAs suggested one district, one product program. I will like to assure the good people of Ashanti Region that the doors of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority are wide open for business men and women and exporters in the region”.

The conference was on the theme: Empowering Ghanaian Businesses to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement under the framework of the National Export Development Strategy.