‘Exporters must be conversant with industry trends’
A Delegate of the German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK), Mr Patrick Martens, has advised Ghanaian exporters and prospective ones to familiarise themselves with trends in the international export market to be able to meet the standards required of them by their partners.
He said it was important for exporters to participate in international exhibitions and trade fairs to interact with other businesses to develop relationships and partnerships while building their own capacities.
Mr Martens gave the advice at an export seminar in Accra which was targeted at existing exporters and prospective ones. It was aimed at fostering and facilitating trade relations between Ghana and Germany.
The seminar was organised by the AHK, in collaboration with Fidelity Bank and Enhancing Growth in New Partnership (ENGINE), a project implemented by TechnoServe with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) that seeks to equip micro and small enterprises (MSEs) with the necessary skills and resources to improve their businesses.
Mr Martens said bilateral issues were very important because a good business had a healthy business partner, and that the AHK focused more on mutual bilateral trade.
“We believe that commodity trading itself does not create jobs, we want to gather support for all those companies in the manufacturing sector. The German Chamber is present in most countries, they are not only providing vocation but also supporting members and non-members to enter the German market,” he explained.
He said the organisation had special networking events which featured businesses coming from Germany to share ideas with their Ghanaian counterparts. He hoped this would help push Ghanaian businesses onto the German market and ultimately the European market.
“We are an important part of the export part of the global economy. Trade fairs are still playing a crucial role in our activities. You will get in touch with potential businesses, trade fairs, networking and help to exchange information”, he said.
The Director of the Inspectorate Division at the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Mr Eugene Adarkwa Addai, cautioned participants that exporting was not a matter of trial and error.
He said it was important for manufacturers seeking to export their products to endeavour to make it right the first time and every time.
“Unfortunately, only those who seek to export come to the GSA to know the standards but it is necessary to test your products here. Quantity and price are negotiable but quality and standards are non-negotiable,” he said.
He advised exporters to produce and test their products in Ghana and West Africa before they thought of export.
The Head of the Export Desk at the Fidelity Bank, Mr Bright Evans Darko, said the bank had dedicated a section for export finance where it provided technical advice and support to exporters.