By
Anthony Apubeo, GNA
Bolgatanga, Feb 27, GNA – The Ghana Shippers’
Authority (GSA) has engaged key stakeholders and exporters in the Upper East
Region as part of measures to address challenges in the export sector, to
create a competitive advantage for local industries.
The forum, organised in Bolgatanga was on the
theme, “Overcoming trade barriers to enhance exports in northern sector: the
role of stakeholders”.
It brought together representatives from the
Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Veterinary Services of the Department
of Agriculture, the Ghana Police Services, Customs Division of the Ghana
Revenue Authority and some exporters in the region.
Mrs Naa Densua Aryeetey, the Head of Shippers
Services and Trade Facilitation, GSA, explained that the export value chain was
a critical driver of every economy as it generated employment avenues, foreign
exchange resulting in revenue mobilisation, boosted the industrial sector as
well as contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mrs Aryeetey said Ghana did not benefit enough
from the export supply chain due to its over reliance on the export of raw
materials, particularly Non Traditional Exports (NTES) and the situation was
worrisome to government.
“It must be noted and acknowledged that an
appreciable surge in export trade volume was recorded in 2018. The total export
trade for 2018 was 7.66 million metric tons, which represents an increase of
24.6 per cent over the previous years”.
“While these figures represent growth in the
export trade, you will all agree that there is certainly more room for
improvement and the Ghana Shippers’ Authority would continue with its mandate
of promoting and protecting the interest of shippers,” she added.
Mrs Aryeetey explained that government as part
of its industrialisation agenda had taken steps to add value to the raw materials
before exporting to increase foreign exchange, create employment and meet
international standards.
She said government had introduced measures
including the National Export Strategy, spearheaded by GEPA and the adoption of
the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to open doors for exporters to
trade with other African countries without barriers.
She urged the exporters to prepare themselves
accordingly, to benefit from AfCFTA intervention and increase production and
revenue mobilisation.
The GSA would continue to negotiate to ensure
that shippers were able to trade competitively on the international markets
without any challenges, she assured.
She said the Authority had developed
infrastructural projects including; warehouses in Tema, the recently
inaugurated truck park at Hamile in the Upper West Region and would be
constructing more at the Paga border and other areas, to ease congestion at the
country’s ports and address transport logistical challenges in both export and
import value chain.
Exporters have over years expressed concern
over high freight rates, poor handling of cargo by handlers, rejection of cargo
due to poor labeling and packaging, poor road network, long transit time and
infrastructure and multiple non-tariff barriers along the transport corridors
among others as major challenges confronting competitiveness on the global
market.
She said the projects therefore afforded major
stakeholders the opportunity to address such concerns and enable exporters to
trade freely without any challenges.
GNA