The board members with her ladyship Justice OIivia Obeng Owusu
The reconstituted governing board of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, GFZA, was on Friday, October 22, 2021, sworn into office by her ladyship Justice OIivia Obeng Owusu.
The ten-member board which is chaired by Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade Industries has been tasked to “to facilitate, regulate and monitor activities in the free zones.”
In a brief address after being sworn in, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen expressed gratitude to the President for the trust imposed in him and the board members to steer the affairs of GFZA.
Alan Kyerematen exhorted the minds of the board to the challenge ahead which is to position Ghana as the manufacturing hub of Africa.
He remarked that the role of the GFZA is integral to the realization of the government’s dream hence the need for the members to commit to the task.
Alan Kyerematen intimated that the board is coming at a time that the country is wheeling itself from the impact of the COVID-19 and that the GFZA has a key role to play if the country is to weather the economic storm created by the pandemic.
He said he had absolute belief in the expertise and commitment of the members to deliver on the mandate assigned to them and help the country.
“On behalf of the ministry and the new board, I want to express our profound gratitude to the President for appointing us as members of the governing board of this important organization. We believe that individually and collectively we can bring our experience and knowledge to bear on the work.
“This new board is being commissioned at a very important turning point in the history of the organization and for that matter of our country. The government has launched a very aggressive program for industrialization which is designed to make Ghana the new manufacturing hub on the continent of Africa. This new industrial transformation agenda is anchored on ten pillars and three of these pillars have a direct correlation on the work of this organization.
“One of pillars is the promotion of export development which is the core mandate of GFZA. Now that we have launched a new national export development strategy which has target of achieving over $25 in non-traditional value export, this organization is going to lead the efforts. Another very important pillar is the development of industrial parks,” he said.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the GFZA who is also a board member congratulated his colleagues and stressed the need to hit the ground running.
Members of the board include Amb Mike Oquaye Jnr, CEO of the GFZA, Kingsley Joojo Fosu, CEO Regency Resources Limited, Dr. Susana Alo, Educationist and Development Practitioner, and Osei Kuffuor Kankam, Managing Director KANOF Limited.
The membership also includes Hon. Cynthia Mamle Morrison, MP for Agona West Constituency, Rosemary Beryl Archer, Head-SME Department Ghana Exim Bank, Alex Frempong Tenkorang, CEO Kwanim GDK Farms Limited, and Hon. Andrew Asiamah Amoako, MP for Fomena Constituency and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament.