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| CEO of GEPA, Dr Owusu Agyemang |
TRADE has become a major engine of growth in both industrial and middle-income as well as developing countries.
Extensive studies have shown
that export growth is linked to economic growth, with non-traditional
export gradually becoming a concentrated aspect of business development
for advance countries across board.
Until recently, export of fresh flowers from Kenya to Europe has seen a leap in that country’s non traditional export revenue.
Investment in non traditional exports such as
agriculture, tourism, wholesale and retail trade has seen an expansion
in that country’s economy.
With global business taking nosedive and youth
unemployment on the ascendency, small and medium scale enterprises have
been identified as creating better job opportunities, as well as
developing greater social cohesion.
Micro enterprises were thefore said to have for
instance contributed some 30 per cent employment opportunities in
European Union (EU) countries, while small enterprises and medium-sized
enterprises contributed about 20 and 17 per cent in that order.
The GEPA’s quest to increase revenue in that regard
have seen officials adopting international export fairs across
sub-Saharan Africa as parts of strategies scale up its market activities
for Ghanaian products.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
the GEPA, Dr Kwadwo Owusu Agyemang, to ensure that Ghana's export trade
contributes to accelerated economic growth the marketability of
Made-in-Ghana products in the competitive global economy, may become
mere illusions, if stakeholder bodies failed to joined forces with them
in that regard.
The export fairs, which has so far taken place in
Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Benin, Nigeria, Germany, Equitorial Guinea and
recently, Nairobi, Kenya has been lauded by counterpart bodies in the
host countries, with trade related organisations pledging commitments to
future partnerships.
The tourism potentials and agribusiness on the
other hand has been sidelined, with many industry players calling for
new approach to address lapses.
While suggestions points to the fact that tourism
would soon outgrown all sectors to become the largest industry in the
world, Ghanaian institutions mandated to developed an appropriate
marketability of tourist attractions have failed in that direction.
Although there is growing interest in the potential
of tourism to stimulate growth, many communities, including those whose
economies are dominated by tourism, do not have tourism plans.
The sector, the world over has become the traditional means of revenue generation for developmental needs, and if well exploited could adversely decreased the country’s over-dependency on external loans and grants.
The just ended 10-day export fair by the GEPA in
Nairobi brought to the fore the need to include tourism potential
information in future fairs.
Organisers ought to adopt a new approach to
showcasing Ghanaian products and services, by ensuring limited
concentration on clothing and garments products, which have virtually
taken over the fairs.
For the GEPA to succeed in realising its
non-traditional export revenue goal of $5 billion by 2015, officials
ought to scale up their activities in prospective countries along its
trade promotion routes, by ensuring tourism, agribusiness and industrial
components become major components.
The commercial units of the high commissions abroad
along the prospective fair routes could also be encouraged to engaged
in mop up activities after such exhibitioons as a way to sustained the
market.
Businesses that have gain the needed exposure from the GEPA's activities also have to take advantage of the
numerous opportunities the new social media platforms have provided, by
advancing campaign strategies as parts of market improvement strategies.
SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Graphic Business, Tue May 29, 2012
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