The government has been urged to support bakers and flour users through policy interventions to improve the country’s baking industry.
The President of the Royal Bakers and Flour Users Association of Ghana (ROBAFUA), Philomina Boakye, said it was essential for the government to ensure a favourable business environment by reducing import duties on essential raw materials used by players in the sector.
She said the government must also extend single-digit credit through the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre and the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) for equipment upgrades and inclusion of bakers in food security programmes.
Mrs Boakye made the remarks during the official launch of the association, a united front for all bakers across the country in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, last Saturday.
“When you invest in bakers, you invest in the employment of women, stability for families and the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which is the backbone of the Ghanaian economy,” she said.
Sustainable development
Mrs Boakye said a country could not achieve sustainable development without a robust private sector, which experts describe as the primary engine for economic growth, job creation and innovation.
While the government plays a critical role in creating the enabling environment, she said, “it is private businesses and multilateral corporations that drive wealth creation and provide tax revenue required to finance public services.”
She expressed the association’s commitment through knowledge sharing, the creation of opportunities, and the opening of new markets to enable small bakeries to employ more youth and reduce unemployment, as the government could not do it alone.
“As an association, we will work according to acceptable and regulatory standards so that every loaf of bread, pastry and snack meets the quality that Ghanaians and consumers deserve,” she pointed out.
The Financial Secretary of the association, Nancy Saka, said that with the right support from key stakeholders, the baking industry could create thousands of jobs, especially for women and the youth in the country.
She pledged that the association would uphold higher standards, improve food safety and adopt best business practices, saying “we will not just bake, but we will do it to address the needs of consumers”.
Vital role
The Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, Daniel Yaw Geraldo, said the baking industry played a vital role in many Ghanaian breakfasts and snacks, adding that “with this influence comes a significant responsibility as well”.
He said as of February 2026, the FDA intensified the enforcement of mandatory food hygiene for all food establishments and that the initiative was aimed at ensuring that every facility operated from registered premises in compliance with the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851.
An official of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Sandra Boakye, advised members of the association to standardise their food products to enable them to penetrate larger markets, as this would also help them reduce cost.
The Chief of Nyamekrom in Koforidua, Nana Kwame Nnuro Agyapong II, who chaired the event, underscored the industry’s importance, noting that it plays a critical role in humanity’s survival.
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