Pay attention to quality -Exporters advised
Local exporters have been advised to pay attention to quality and avoid practices that could lead to a ban on exports from Ghana.
The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Mr Gideon Quarcoo, gave the advice in Accra last Friday, when he addressed exporters at the GEPA 23rd National Awards for Export Achievement – 2012, on the theme “Providing sustainable motivation for export excellence”.
He impressed upon exporters to comply with international procedures to maintain their markets abroad.
Objective
The awards were to formally recognise the contribution of exporters in the non-traditional sector to economic growth.
It was also to commend the exporters for exporting quality products, for breaking new grounds and to encourage higher levels of performance from them.
Mr Quarcoo said Ghana’s non-traditional sector was growing and making significant contributions to national economic development.
He said even though export earnings of $2.423 billion in 2011 slightly declined to $2.364 billion in 2012, the sector made a lot of market in-roads.
“This decline led to aggressive export promotion and development by GEPA, in collaboration with other key export stakeholders,” he said.
Mr Quarcoo added that the provisional non-traditional export earnings for the half-year period (January to June 2013) depicted a positive growth of about 12 per cent over earnings for the same period in the previous year, hence, the target for 2013, which is $3.3 billion, believed to be achievable.
The Chairman of the GEPA Governing Council, Mr Kobina Ade Coker, in his address, urged stakeholders to provide exporters with the necessary financial and technical support to enhance their performance.
That, he said, would help sustain the country’s non-traditional exports on the international market.
The Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Public Private Partnership (PPP), Mr Rashid Pelpuo, said Ghana had attained an enviable position in its quest to diversify the economy.
He, therefore, urged the exporters to continue to work hard to promote further growth of the economy.
The Awards
The awards were categorised into eight, namely the Special Honorary Awards, Exporter of the Year, the Platinum Award, the Gold Award, the Most Diversified Exporter, the Woman Exporter of the Year, the Silver Award, and the Innovative Product of the Year Award.
By Zainabu Issah/Daily Graphic/Ghana