Ghana’s effort to improve her exports in the cassava, fruits and cosmetics value chains has received a boost with the launch of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP).
The 6.35 million Euros programme, launched in March this year is being funded by the European Union.
The objective of the four-year programme being implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) is to build the competitiveness of Ghanaian businesses to increase the country’s export of cassava, fruits and cosmetics to the world market and help promote the industrialisation agenda of the country.
Speaking at a stakeholder briefing session for business associations and members of the business community in the country, the Chief Technical Advisor of WACOMP, Charles Kwame Sackey said the WACOMP was to build the capacities of businesses operating in the three value chains to be able to export to the European and world markets.
“The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa and to enhance ECOWAS countries’ integration into the regional and international trading system, including the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.
He said business operating in the three value chains could be able to export to the European and world markets, if they were able to meet international standards.
Mr Sackey said there were huge export potentials for the three selected projects on the world market which is currently being underutilises by Ghana.
He said Ghanaian businesses could tap the huge demand for cassava, fruits and cosmetic products, to increase their exports of such products to the world market.
The WACOMP Chief Technical Advisor said as part of the project, the Ghana Standards Authority would be supported to receive international accreditation for the certification products into the world market.
Mr Sackey said the project in total would benefit about 114 companies in the all the three value chains and urged companies in the aforementioned sectors to increase their exports to the world market.
The WACOMP CTA said the three products were chosen because of their ability to reduce poverty and create jobs for the youth.
The National Coordinator of the One District, One Factory, Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu described WACOMP as a “very important programme.”
She entreated the implementers of WACOMP to strongly link up with the private sector, which the project is intended for.
Mrs Ohene-Konadu said strong linkage with the private sector would help the project implementers to identify the challenges facing the private sector and find solutions to them.
The President of FAGE, Tony Sikpa emphasised on standards and quality, saying that was the only way Ghanaian fruits exporters could break through the world fruit market.
“Let’s operate according to certified standards. If we are able to produce to meet the standards of the international market, they will willingly buy from us,” he told the gathering.
By Kingsley Asare
