Ghana’s Deputy Foreign Minister James Gyakye Quayson said on Friday that the government was supporting local businesses to obtain the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) rules of origin certificate to enable them to participate in intra-African and cross-border trading activities.
Quayson said this during the 4th Made-In-Ghana Bazaar, organized by the foreign ministry to showcase Ghanaian products and services in pursuance of its economic and industrial transformation agenda.
“Ghanaian companies manufacturing products such as cosmetics, food and beverages, coconut oil, and garments are being supported to obtain AfCFTA Rules of Origin Certification,” the minister stated.
According to him, the initiative was part of the government’s accelerated export development program and the national export development strategy, which seek to increase Ghana’s non-traditional export earnings from 3.5 billion U.S. dollars annually to at least 10 billion dollars by 2030, while focusing on value addition, economic diversification, and private sector partnerships to create jobs for the youths.
Through the implementation of these programs, Quayson said the government aims to accelerate industrial development and increase the competitiveness of the Ghanaian economy.
“Further, targeted market intelligence is also being conducted to identify growth potential for Ghanaian processed food products, organic beauty care products, and semi-processed agricultural exports,” the minister added.
Newly accredited Ghanaian envoys also attended the opening of the three-day event as part of their orientation before leaving the shores of Ghana for their respective duty posts.
Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the presidency, who opened the bazaar, urged the envoys to see treat promotion as part of their diplomatic duties, to promote quality Ghanaian products in their host countries.