Govt to boost non-traditional exports with percentage of oil money

The non-traditional exports (NTE) sector is to receive a percentage of oil revenue to boost its operations, the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has said.

In a speech read on his behalf at this year’s National Awards for Export Achievement in Accra last Friday, Mr Amissah-Arthur said Ghana produced many good and quality products and services, but was unable to market them effectively on the international market.

“We can cite examples such as our own “Bolga baskets” and “puna” yams. I, therefore, urge stakeholders in the Ghanaian export sector, especially the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), to take immediate steps to begin the branding process of our major non-traditional export products and services,” he said.

The awards event was on the theme, “Providing Sustainable Motivation for Export Excellence.”

The National Awards for Export Achievement was instituted in 1989 by the GEPA in line with government efforts to stimulate growth of NTEs and to cushion the adverse effects of volatility on earnings from traditional exports.

It has since recognised and awarded about 700 export companies. It is also facilitating efforts of institutions to deliver in their distinct services in the sector.

In the speech read on his behalf by Mr Stephen Amoanor Quao, the Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Vice-President Amissah-Arthur said while the government was doing everything possible at both the micro and macro levels to restore confidence in the economy, actors in the export sector needed to display a high sense of conscientiousness and determination in their operations to enhance investor interest in the domestic economy.

“By this, I mean areas such as medical tourism, information technology, education, and football, as well as consultancy services, should be seriously considered,” he said.

Five categories of awards were given at the ceremony. They were Special Honorary, Silver, Gold, Most-delivered, and Platinum.

Selection of awardees for the honours involved a shortlisting of all exporters who have minimum export earning benchmark for products of US$200,000.

Mrs Margaret Tweneboa-Boateng of Excel Industries Ltd, an aluminium household utensils company, received the Woman Exporter of the Year award, while Interplast Limited, manufacturers of plastics products, received the Exporter of the Year award.

The Platinum award went to Cocoa Processing Company Ltd (CPC), manufacturers of chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa paste and cocoa powder, while Ernimich Limited, a food processing company, received the most diversified award.

Gold award winners included Azar Chemical Industries Limited (household paint), Logs & Lumber Ltd (builders’ woodwork), PZ Cussons Limited (soaps), Ghana Nuts Company Ltd (shea oil,) and Pinora Limited (fruit concentrate, orange).

Special honorary awards went to Dayash Ventures, Craftman Studios, Chocho Industries Limited, Naasakle Limited, Ebenut Ghana and Integrated Tamale Fruit Company.

The acting Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, Mr Stephen Normeshie, said the Ghana Export School had introduced enhanced trade-related human resource capacity-building programmes aimed at further improving the competitiveness of the Ghanaian exporter.

He said the authority also embarked on an extensive awareness in service export in the Volta, Central, Western, Ashanti and Greater Accra regions early this year.

He was optimistic that the exercise would greatly help in growing the NTE sector.

“In view of the positive interventions from the government that the exporter community is currently receiving, we wish to assure you that we will strive to consolidate and even deepen the gains we are making to ensure that the NTE sector does not only exceed the set target of US$5 billion by 2015, but also contribute more than a quarter of total exports from Ghana,” Mr Normeshie said.

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