Committee on export development inaugurated

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) has set up a 13-member steering committee to support and guide a successful implementation of the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS).

The committee, among others, is to work in collaboration with the inter-ministerial committee to diversify the non-traditional export sector of the economy in 10 years (2020-2029).

It is expected to give a boost to the country’s export volumes by growing non-traditional exports from $2.8 billion in 2020 to $25.3 billion in 2029.

Chaired by the Chief Director of the ministry, Patrick Yaw Nimo, the committee is made up of chief executives of the Ghana Exports Promotion Authority, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Ghana Enterprises Agency, the Ghana Free Zones Authority and the Ghana Export-Import Bank.

Other organisations represented on the committee are the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate, the Ghana Standards Authority, the Food and Drugs Authority, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, the Association of Ghana Industries, the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce Industry.

A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Herbert Krapah, at the inauguration ceremony in Accra last Tuesday stated that the realisation of the target in the next decade demanded strong collaboration between key implementing partners and players within the non-traditional export sector.

“NEDS provides a clear vision of the desired evolution of Ghana's non-traditional export sector within a decade and a roadmap for attaining the vision, forging a national consensus on how best to approach industrial export development that is inclusive and benefits all Ghanaians,” he said.

Committee’s role

As the second highest body for the NEDS, he said, the committee was to provide direction and oversight for the strategy implementation, consider and streamline project NEDS implementation issues, and make recommendations to the inter-ministerial oversight committee.

He said the steering committee was expected to undertake advocacy, and supervise the promotion of NEDS to internal and external stakeholders, including the mobilisation of resources towards the implementation of the strategy.

He said it was also to coordinate critical inputs from institutional service providers, present quarterly and annual reports to the inter-ministerial committee and facilitate the identification of projects under the strategy.

The deputy minister explained that the tenure of the steering committee members was tied to the stay in office of the chief executives of institutions and associations.

“In the event of a member losing his or her position as chief executive, arrangements had to be made for the replacement of the new occupant of the office,” he added.

Expertise

Mr Nimo underlined the need for members of the committee to bring their expertise to bear in the line of duty so that the committee would come up with better strategies to realise the gains from the non-traditional export.

“I am convinced that the successful implementation of the NEDS will quicken Ghana’s pace of taking full advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.