Over 2,000 farmers to benefit from EDAIF
More than 2,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the Export Development and Agriculture Investment Fund (EDAIF) to boost their production capacities for the domestic market and export.
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The farmers are to be identified by EDAIF.
Trade and Industry Minister, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed this when he addressed officials from the ministry and its agencies in Tamale last weekend.
He said the review of the EDAIF Act was for this purpose and therefore EDAIF should put pragmatic measures in place as a matter of urgency to support these farmers to increase their yields.
“We should take advantage of our agrarian economy to increase production for the local market and export,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu,however, cautioned the management of the fund to reach out to companies that could create jobs irrespective of their political leanings.
He revealed that the ministries of Trade and Industry, and Food and Agriculture would collaborate to halt the overdependence on rice importation by encouraging and supporting the local rice farmers financially and technologically to increase their yields to meet the growing demands of rice by Ghanaians.
The trade minister also said in order to reduce the delays at the port, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) should prepare for pre-shipment inspection as efforts were made to install more scanners at the ports to ease congestion and also reduce delays associated with the clearing of goods.
He suggested that officials working at the ports should also provide 24-hour service to complement the efforts of the government.
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Mr Iddrisu asked officials of the GSA to build their capacities in order to wean themselves from government subvention. He said from 2015, the GSA would not receive any subvention from the government.
He was particularly worried about the government bonded warehouses, which have now become a source of revenue leaks and gave the assurance that every effort would be made to halt the trend.
Mr Iddrisu said Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) and Ghana Export Promotion Authority would be repositioned to support the missions abroad to promote a vigorous and aggressive trade and investment drive. He projected that by the end of the year, toothpick would be manufactured in the country.
The Acting Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Dewarnoba Baeka, called on the management and staff to put in their best to move the trade and industry agenda of the government forward.
The Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini, said the region was ready for investment and requested those who were keen on investing in the region to do so now.
Mr Amadu Sorogho, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industries, and Tourism, called on the officials to take personal interest in all that they do.
The Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, commended the management for their hard work but urged them to do more.