Deputy Minister of Commerce begins tour of exporting companies

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Herbert Krapa began his first working visit to assess the work done so far on exporting among companies across the country.

The visit aims to strengthen relations between government and industry stakeholders in order to boost foreign direct investment in Ghana’s export sector.

Hon. Krapa expressed satisfaction with the company’s efforts to produce high quality bananas in Ghana in strict accordance with European Union (EU) standards.

He said the Ministry of Commerce has started rolling out a series of programs and interventions to increase the volume of non-traditional exports from US $ 2.5 to US $ 25 billion by 2030 through the National Strategy. Export Development Authority (NEDS) which is headed by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).

Hon. Krapa added that engaging investors on the ground also provides the Ghanaian government with an opportunity to stay abreast of recent developments in some of the country’s major industrial centers for non-traditional export products.

Employing more than 3,000 Ghanaians and located on an area of ​​more than 8,600 hectares, GEL, certified Fair Trade, produces 50,000 tonnes of bananas and 10,000 tonnes of pineapples annually, making it the leading exporter of bananas and pineapple in Ghana.

The company’s plantation in Ghana is also home to one of the largest organic banana farms in the world, exporting mainly to EU countries and some African countries including Mali and Burkina Faso.

GEL Vice President Olivier Chassang said the company is confident in its Ghana-made products after nearly two decades of operating in the country.

He also expressed confidence in the commitment of the Government of Ghana to ensure political and economic stability in order to create an enabling environment that will attract more investment to create jobs and boost the economy of the country.