The Ghana Export Promotion Council’s (GEPC) Chief Executive Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Agyeman has said his organisation is focusing on expanding Ghana’s non-traditional exports (NTE) market to enable it achieve its targetted export revenue of US$5billion by 2015
“We are on a drive to expand our NTE market in Africa, as well as exploring virgin markets in Asia including China, Japan and India.
“North African countries have a particular preference for Ghanaian fruits and vegetables and we are eyeing that market seriously,” Agyeman said.
He disclosed that GEPC expects a slight dip in its export earnings in 2010 to that of previous years due to a slump arising from the global economic downturn in its biggest market, the EU; “but we seek to offset that with gains we make in new markets,” Agyeman said.
Speaking to B&FT on the sidelines of a workshop on Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) for producers and exporters, the Chief Executive disclosed that GEPC will this year organise 10 promotional drives including solo exhibitions, buyer exhibitions and trade fairs.
“We have major trade fairs slated for Abuja, Nigeria and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, which we believe will open up those markets further to Ghana’s products,” he said.
The T4SD is a partnership-based effort to enhance transparency on voluntary sustainability standards and to increase opportunities for sustainable production and trade.
The one-day workshop was to expose Ghanaian exporters of non-traditional products to the challenges and opportunities in voluntary sustainability standards, as well as to share participants’ experiences with the process, engaging in sustainability initiatives, and the experienced impact of these initiatives.
Over the past several years, voluntary sustainability standards developed by civil society organisations, the private sector and other groups have experienced unprecedented growth. Accompanying this growth is an increasing need for standards information and transparency.
Producers and exporters in the developing world often lack information when considering how to engage in sustainable production and trade practices. Additionally, manufacturers, retailers and public procurement officials lack detailed information when making sustainable purchasing decisions.
Source-BFT
