On Thursday, Mr. Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Minister of Trade and Industry, inaugurated the Third Made-In-Ghana Bazaar in Accra, urging the public to support locally manufactured goods.
The three-day event, on the theme: “Promoting Made-In-Ghana Goods and Services for Economic Prosperity,” is being organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Additional supporting entities include the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Association of Ghana Industries.
“I encourage each of you to patronise these Made-in-Ghana products and services, not just out of functionality and price but also with a sense of pride and patriotism,” Mr Hammond said.
“By supporting your local businesses and artisans, you are not only satisfying your needs, but you are also investing in the local economy and strengthening as well as preserving our productive sectors for future generations.”
“Every purchase made here today helps to sustain livelihoods and promote productivity and sustainability in our communities,” the Trade Minister added.
The Made-In-Ghana Bazaar seeks to promote Ghanaian products internationally, using the network of Ghana’s Diplomatic Missions.
The Bazaar, a key initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, was introduced in 2018 after the government opted to reinstate the Economic, Trade, and Investment Bureau of the Ministry in 2017, in line with its economic and industrial transformation objectives.
The Bazaar convenes over 150 exhibitors showcasing a diverse array of Ghana’s signature products, both locally and internationally renowned.
Featured items at the Bazaar encompass traditional crafts, artisanal creations, and technologically advanced manufactured goods.
Mr. Hammond emphasized that since 2017, the government, under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s leadership, has collaborated closely with the private sector to enhance industrial production and broaden market reach, particularly in industries associated with processing local raw materials.
He said that had been aggressively pursued within the context of a comprehensive Industrial Transformation Agenda, which prioritised import substitution and export diversification as its twin objectives; saying: “Our value addition agenda is reaping impressive results”.
According to the 2023 Annual Statistics Report on Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) released by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Manufactured and Semi-Processed products accounted for 85.01 percent of the NTEs portfolio in 2023. Meanwhile, the Agricultural and Industrial Art and Craft (Handicrafts) sub-sectors contributed 12.57 percent and 2.43 percent, respectively.
He emphasized that the consistent predominance of manufactured and semi-processed products in the NTEs highlights the significant advantages resulting from the Government’s emphasis on enhancing value addition and industrialization efforts.
He highlighted that among these initiatives, the One District One Factory (1D1F) program stands out as a prime example of the Government’s ability to spur private sector investment, thereby expanding manufacturing and employment opportunities across numerous districts in Ghana.
Mr. Hammond reported that there are currently 321 1D1F Projects in various stages of implementation, with 169 operational factories. These factories collectively employ 169,870 individuals, generating both direct and indirect employment, while also contributing to import substitution and export expansion.
He emphasized that this represents a substantial push to introduce a wide range of Made-in-Ghana products into both domestic and international markets.
He also noted significant progress in attracting foreign and domestic investment partnerships in emerging strategic sectors, such as the Automotive Industry.
“Currently, 11 major global vehicle brands are assembled in Ghana, that is they proudly carry the Made in Ghana label. They include Volkswagen, Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, Peugeot, Foton, Hyundai, Changan, KIA, Ashok Leyland and Honda,” Mr Hammond.
He said those initiatives were strategic because they placed Ghana in a better position to be competitive domestically as well as in the regional market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).
Madam Mavis Nkansah Boadu, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in charge of Finance and Administration, said the goal of the bazaar was to facilitate the penetration of Ghanaian products and services into foreign markets through the network of Ghana’s Missions abroad and Diplomatic Missions accredited to Ghana.
That would invariably support the growth of Ghana’s Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) and provide them with the needed impetus to expand their reach into markets including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).