Accra, Oct. 25, GNA – The United States (US)
Government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has
created an opportunity for stakeholders to learn about the new tools, manuals
and online portals that are boosting the exports of Ghanaian products.
The opportunity is also to enlighten
stakeholders on the tools, manual and online platforms that are generating more
income for citizens and helping Ghana to diversify her export base to high
value markets.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency
from the Public Affairs Department of the US Embassy, said the Trade Africa
Learning Event, held on Wednesday, brought together Government’s officials and
other partners to deliberate on the theme: “Enhancing Ghana’s Trade
Competitiveness: Lessons from the Trade Africa Partnership”.
It explained that since 2016, USAID’s
initiative; Trade Africa, had provided 10 million dollars to support the World
Trade Organisation’s trade facilitation agreement, improved phyto-sanitary
standards, helped Ghana overcome technical barriers to trade and supported
policies that promote regional trade and investment.
The statement said the USAID had also
supported the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s vegetable export task force to
improve quality standards of Ghana’s vegetable exported to the European Union
(EU).
As a result, the EU intercepted only four
shipments of horticultural products from Ghana in 2017, downed from 330 in
2014, when the EU instituted a vegetable export ban.
Mr Steven E. Hendrix, the USAID/Ghana Acting
Mission Director, said the US Government was proud to support the Government of
Ghana through increased exports of Ghanaian goods and businesses to the world
markets.
He was quoted as saying: “We are working to
make Ghanaian goods more competitive and increase opportunities for Ghanaian
businesses to participate more fully in global value chains.”
In 2015, Ghana became a Trade Africa expansion
country to broaden access to markets and encourage investment regimes.
It was also to enhance a two-way and
intra-regional trade, and help Ghana move beyond foreign assistance to a relationship
defined by trade.
GNA