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Volta Region gets GEPC zonal office
Ho, July 11, GNA- Mr Kofi Dzamesi, the Volta Regional
Minister, on Wednesday commissioned the Volta Region Zonal
Office of the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC), to
promote the export of non-traditional products in the
Region.
He said the establishment of the Office was as a dream come
true and called on businessmen and women in the Region to
take advantage of the facility to improve their work towards
the development of the Region.
The Minster observed that the Region abound a wide range of
exportable agriculture, craft and textile products, and
expressed the hope that the Office would serve as a catalyst
to increase production of such products to reduce poverty in
the Region.
He also said the GEPC office was expected to assist in the
production of non-traditional products such as local
alcohol, akpeteshie and ethanol for the manufacturing of
cosmetics and medicines, saying, cassava was being
cultivated for export.
Mr. Dzamesi also announced that plans were far advanced for
the establishment of a garment factory in the Region and
asked the people to visit the Office regularly to be abreast
with its operations.
He urged staff of the Office to assist the people and
cautioned that he would not hesitate to sack any staff that
would be found misbehaving.
Mr. Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Deputy Minister of Trade,
Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential
Special Initiative, expressed worry about the country's
inability to meet the large export orders received for
various exports products due to supply constraints.
" Low production capacity, poor infrastructure and
inadequate financial support for the private sector, as well
as weak export managerial capacity continue to the plague of
the sector", he said.
Mr. Asiedu, therefore, said the country would be expected to
remove constraints in the export sector, especially in
non-traditional subdivision.
He said government was aware of challenges posed by
financing enterprises and gave the assurance that measures
were being taken to improve the export sector, including the
establishment of the Export Development and Investment Fund.
Mr. Asiedu urged all enterprises in the sector to keep
proper financial records to enable them to access financial
support from the Fund towards the expansion of their
operations to create more jobs.
Mr. Collins Boateng, Executive Secretary of the GEPC,
advised people who needed assistance from the Council to
approach staff of the Zonal office before contacting the
Head office in Accra.
He said the Office would work in collaboration with the
Regional Branch of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to
improve the production and marketing development component
of the Council.
GNA
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