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Herbert Krapa, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry
The government is committed to providing incentives and an enabling environment for improving agro-industry operations and expanding the country’s export capacity.
Mr. Herbert Krapa, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, who gave the assurance, said the government recognizes the contributions of agro-industries to the export sector and the economy of the country.
Speaking to the media after a visit to a banana farm and packaging facility owned by the French company Golden Exotics Limited (GEL), in Asutuare in the Shai Osudoku district of the Greater Accra region, M Krapa said the government is doing everything possible to create the right environment for the prosperity of agribusiness companies.
The tour was intended to give the Minister the opportunity to gain first-hand information on the company’s operations and understand its challenges to inform government policies.
He was accompanied by Mr. Samuel Dentu, Deputy Director General for Operations and Finance, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and other officials from the ministry as well as GEPA.
The Deputy Minister congratulated GEL for its contribution to Ghana’s economy, especially in the area of employment and knowledge sharing.
“I think the 3,000 Ghanaians they have employed, the way their people carry out their responsibilities and the work they have to do, from packing to harvesting, pruning, cutting sick leaves, I think beyond job creation, knowledge transfer is an important part of it as well and I’m satisfied, ”Krapa explained.
To boost the country’s export capacity and income, he said the government has put in place a holistic plan such as the National Export Development Strategy to strengthen the production capacity of agribusiness companies.
He said that Ghana, as a signatory of various agreements including African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ghana-UK Trade Partnership Agreement, Ghana-AU Economic Partnership Agreement, The country hoped to attract more foreign direct investment to the country to help increase the number of exporters and strengthen the capacity of existing exporters to take advantage of these platforms.
“We have an ambitious plan to increase non-traditional exports (NTE) from the current $ 2.5 billion to $ 25 billion within 10 years and they are the people we are counting on to get there. This has a significant impact on the economy as we know, the forex, the economy, job creation, boosting the local economy as well and it is important that we assure them and reassure them constantly that we are partners in this area.
“We will work together, we will continue to support them,” he said.
In 2019, Ghana earned $ 2.899 billion from the export of non-traditional commodities, 3.10% more than the $ 2.813 billion recorded in 2018, according to NTE 2019 statistics released by GEPA.
Mr. Oliver Chassang, vice president of GEL Ghana, said the company has invested around 40 million euros since it started operating in the country in 2003, adding that it is exploring the possibility of expanding to the to come up.
Currently, GEL has a total of 1,600 hectares of banana plantations, of which 1,000 hectares are conventional bananas and the remaining 600 are organic bananas. Mr. Chassang said the company expects this year to export 80,000 tonnes of bananas, mainly to the European market, as well as to ECOWAS countries including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Of that total, he said, 20,000 would be organic bananas and 60,000 tonnes conventional.
While congratulating the Deputy Minister of Commerce for paying a working visit to the company, he urged the government to ensure continued stability and reliability in order to build investor confidence and attract more investment. .
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