Govt will help exporters achieve target

The minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, has assured exporters that the Government will create the enabling environment for them to achieve the target of 1.2 billion by 2007.

He explained that the stride in the export sector would be led by non-traditional export which is expected to take over from the country's main export earners namely cocoa, gold and timber, as envisaged in the set target.

Speaking at the 16th National Awards for Export Achievements for the year 2004, Mr Kyerematen said to achieve the set goals, the Government had developed a strategic framework in the area of market access, which was one of the basic requirements for the growth of the sector.

He said one of the important things was the country's ability to have access to the market in the United States of America through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), adding that the country had the opportunity to export more than 6,400 different products to that market, which is the largest consumer in the world, to earn an estimated $35 trillion.

He said with all these chances, there was no reason for Ghana to remain poor since all that was required to produce existed in the country. He said the country also had a similar opportunity under the ACP/EU agreement in terms of market access which was also duty and quota free.