The 19th Ghana International Trade Fair (GITF) is scheduled for February 6 to March 8, 2015, at the Trade Fair Center, La, Accra.
The last International trade fair organised in March 2014 witnessed a poor turnout. Participants complained about lack of patronage, poor advertising and planning, and that the total number of visitors to the fair was very small. Trade fairs are supposed to promote trade and investment nationally and internationally; and show off innovative products at all levels of entrepreneurship.
International trade fairs are replete with intercontinental, reputable, large, medium and small-scale businesses, wishing to expand their prospects and get into larger markets to distribute their products and services. Ghana’s “international” trade fairs are usually filled with the same companies in town; stands inundated with imported consumer products available in the shopping malls. Few institutions show research and development products; and even fewer show interest and the potential to internationalise.
International companies
The few companies that are “international” are usually small ones from neighbouring African countries, and without the strong financial backing to make the necessary impact, as far as major trade deals are concerned. Over the years, many of them have stopped participating in the GITF.
Perhaps it is time to take a good look at the adage ‘international’, vis-à-vis the content of the fair and diversity of participants, etc. Such scrutiny should settle on what makes the fair international, the minimum standards set to meet the international name calling, etc.
A handful of small exhibitions are held in Accra throughout a given year, mostly at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) or other even smaller locations, lasting two or three days. The numbers are enough to hold one or two large international trade fairs for between two weeks and a month. These can attract wider patronage, and large numbers of visitors, throughout the period of exhibitions. The Food and Hospitality Fair; the Critical Infrastructure Protection In Oil and Gas Fair; West Africa Clean Energy and Environmental Exhibition and Conference; Food and Beverage Tec West Africa Fair, and others, were scheduled separately for the month of December 2014 alone, at the AICC. Business specific Trade Fairs are welcome; however, combined larger fairs are prone to drawing bigger audience, and offer the chance for the business community (and government) to explore other areas they would otherwise not have been abreast of.
Ghana is looking for sustainable industrial development in a balanced way. This is evident given the path the Ministry of Trade and Industry has taken in policy formulation and implementation; plus the role the AGI has played over the years in complementing the efforts of local businesses to grow. AGI has become an important voice of private sector businesses, vis-a-vis advocating for the most appropriate policy framework and to build the capacities of local businesses, inter alia...
The GTFCL in liaison with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the AGI, and other stakeholders, should collaborate closely in the planning of trade fairs. This cooperation should include widening the scope of participants in Ghana’s “international” trade fairs. They should focus on strengthening existing partnerships and forging new ones and networks at global, regional and sub-regional levels, towards achieving sustainable industrial development.
To harmonise these efforts, they should integrate all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental - that enhance productive capacities in a way that supports and transforms the economy, encourages economic growth and creation of decent jobs; enhances productivity and development, particularly the small and medium enterprise sector, micro-industries and new forms of community-based entities.
West African business hub
Ghana has increasingly become, and projects itself as a business hub in West Africa as a result of its functioning democratic system and positive economic development in recent years. Consequently, Ghana has been expanding and modernising ports and harbours to meet international standards. Many companies have been showing interest in the Ghanaian and West African market, both for export and import.
Invariably, planning partners should aim at building bridges among business communities, and enable business people to join their strengths, and build mutual trust. Since most developing countries experience difficulties in attracting investment and in assessing the relevant knowledge and solutions to persistent challenges, it is essential to reinforce international cooperation. Trade fairs have a significant role to play in advancing such a cause.
Business networking must be emphasised as an indispensible addition to the more traditional forms of international cooperation. Empirical evidence reveals that most increase in per capita income stem from advance in technology; therefore, planners of trade Fairs should identify state-of-the-art practices and encourage learning and knowledge-networking strategies, which will build the foundation of any sustainable development approach. Consistently, industrial development should be on the national development agenda in order to stimulate growth, increase employment and improve living standards. Hence, planning for trade fairs should prioritise these as ultimate benefits.
Future fairs
The Accra International Trade Fair Center is woefully underutilised. Income to maintain the complex infrastructure cannot be anything but small, leading to some infrastructural deterioration, and haphazard maintenance schedules. After the next international trade fair in March 2015, there will be a year available to plan the next one. Stakeholders should collaborate with other international fair organisers to make the Accra International Trade Fair an annual or biennial event that international companies will look forward to. For example, the GTFCL, Ministry of Trade, and AGI could liaise with the German Trade Mission, to organise a fair involving about one hundred (100) companies from all over Europe. Dubbed Africa-Europe Fair; it could have all African countries participate with the focus being promoting intra-African trade, and between African and European companies leading to the industrialisation of the African continent.
The alternating year will witness the Africa-Organisation of American States (AFRICA - OAS) Fair. This will involve companies from Canada, the United States of America (USA), and Mercusor countries; that is, all South American/Latin American countries which are members of this Latin American economic bloc.
The next would be the Africa-Asia Trade Fair, emphasising the products and services available from China, Korea, Japan and other “Asian Tigers”.
Planners of trade fairs in Ghana should base their activities on productive competence and global trade capacity building, sustainable production in addition to industrial resource efficiency.
Writer’s Address:
P. O. Box GP 13549,
Accra
