Prioritise BPOs partnerships with GFZA — Oquaye tells AGI
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Free Zones Authority(GFZA), Mike Oquaye Junior has urged members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to focus more on Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) methods to cut cost and make profits outside their confines of operation.
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He said IT companies in the country have led the way by providing services to clientele in other countries across the globe and the manufacturing sector must not be left behind.
According to him these BPOs if properly developed and functioning will create an expansion of businesses in the country which will provide jobs for the unemployed and give industries a competitive edge in a particular sector.
"We cannot compete with China and the US because of the size of their population and technology but we can develop niche products and unique ideals that we can sell to them,"he noted.
Opening a round table meeting with the Association of Ghana Industries yesterday at the conference room of the GFZA in Accra , Mr Oquaye Junior said his outfit is not a preserve of foreigners and those in the export sector but local manufacturers and service providers stand to benefit from its tax exemption policies and rebates.
"The GFZA is looking to give exporters who export more than 70 percent of their products certain tax exemptions , monetary and non monetary benefits," he disclosed.
He further noted that manufacturers who export below 70 percent will receive benefits from Afcta and GIPC.
"GFZA entails 32 percent of foreigners, 32 percent of Ghanaians and 31 percent of partnerships, joint ventures and collaborations.
Business enclaves
He revealed that his outfit has acquired 1200 acres of land at Afienya, 600 acres of land at Kumasi, and about to acquire some land at Savelugu in the Northern sectors of the country to enable business entities, industries and manufacturers located their businesses to these new enclaves to relieve Tema and Accra of congestion.
"We are also working on a big investment of about 200 to 250 million dollars for an industrial park in Shama for businesses," he noted.
He directed the various departments heads of the GFZA to meet immediately with the business entities gathered to work out modalities on how to get tax exemptions for the benefit of their businesses and the country.
AGI members
Some members of the AGI the Graphic Business spoke with expressed satisfaction about the forum and called for more of such fora.