GEPA partners Access Bank to hold 80th National Exporters' Forum

In the bid to expand Ghana's export capacity to the rest of the world to foster economic growth and development, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) held its 80th National Exporters' Forum in Accra to engage with exporters.

The forum, which was in partnership with Access Bank, was on the theme "Growing Ghana's Export Capacity, Catalyst For Economic Growth" and was dedicated to Ghana trade house opened in Nairobi, Kenya.

Ghana Trade House, a one-stop-shop outlet, located in Nairobi’s Sameer Business Park, is intended to provide a platform for Ghanaian exporters to showcase their products and services in the East African country, fostering economic growth and development.

The Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare said the authority is dedicated to deploring innovative ideas to add value to its products to record more nontraditional export revenue this year (2023).

"GEPA has collaborated with key stakeholders such as the Ghana Standards Authority, the Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Exim Bank, the Association of Ghana Industries, the Plant Promotion and Regulations Service Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as well as research institutions, private sector entities, government organizations, and foreign missions," she said.

In 2022, Ghana recorded non-traditional export revenue of 3.5 billion USD with the manufactured and semi-manufactured products sector contributing the most.

Underscoring that, this result highlights GEPA's dedication to enhancing capacity and fostering global competitiveness exchange flows and foreign exchange flows to boost the local economy.

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon K.T Hammond mentioned that the President Akufo Addo-led administration is committed to supporting and promoting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive.

He urged stakeholders and exporters to work together to promote Made in Ghana goods to the rest of the world.

"Let us see ourselves working together as partners in the growth and development of the economy of the country. You cannot be unaware of trade and the transformative impact it has on the economy, especially those in the emerging part," he said.

The Executive Director of Wholesale Banking at Access Bank, Mr James Bruce, explained various initiatives Access Bank is embarking on to support exporters.

"Access Bank is partnering with Ghana Exporters Promotion Company on its 80th Exporters forum because at Access Bank we believe in trade, especially African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Currently, we operate in 18 African countries as an established bank therefore whatever we are doing, whatever exporters have to send out there, they are assured that they will get their money. The majority of the exporters are SMEs and we have a track record of supporting SMEs both with skills and capacity building through our partners.

"For us, as a business looking that the majority of the economy is driven by the SMEs, only Access Bank will step in and support the economy by supporting GEPA in this laudable initiative. We are actually happy that Ghana has a trade house in Kenya. We are delighted to be part of this, most importantly to give exporters advice on how to take finance from banks in these trying times," he explained.