Mr Samson Ahi, Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, has called for stronger private sector support backed by concrete and actionable commitments to accelerate Ghana’s transformation into an export-led economy.
He made the call when policymakers, financiers, development partners, export credit agencies and private sector representatives met at an international conference organised by the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) to mark its 10th anniversary in Accra.
Mr Ahi said only clear and practical commitments would help remove the persistent barriers that prevent Ghanaian businesses from competing effectively on the global market.
He noted that when a Ghanaian business succeeds in producing, processing, meeting standards and selling competitively, the benefits extend across the entire economy, leading to higher incomes, stronger production and improved national economic confidence.
Conversely, he said when businesses struggle, the effects are felt nationwide through reduced output, rising prices and declining investor confidence.
“At the end of these two days we should not leave with only speeches and photographs, but with clear recommendations that can guide Ghana’s export economy – actionable, time-bound and supported by the right partnerships,” he said.
The Deputy Minister called for improved access to suitable trade and export finance structures, particularly for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
He also stressed the need to address compliance costs associated with meeting international trade standards and improve efficiency to speed up the delivery of Ghanaian goods to export markets.
On finance, he said digital tools could help strengthen export financing and improve risk assessment, while blended finance and patient capital could unlock larger investments.
He also urged the development of workable collateral and risk support systems to help MSMEs access financing.
Mr Ahi explained that trade and industry should not be treated as separate policy discussions, noting that production, standards compliance, market access and financing were interconnected and that a failure in one area could undermine the entire system.
He said the Ministry had in recent times strengthened engagement with key stakeholders across the trade and industry space to better understand the challenges businesses face and find practical solutions.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and product exhibitions as key outcomes of the conference, saying they had the potential to translate ideas into real commitments and promote Ghanaian products to international buyers.
He urged participants to work together to ensure the conference produced tangible results capable of deepening Ghana’s export-led growth, creating jobs, increasing incomes and strengthening economic resilience.
“These discussions in priority value chains, including garments, rice and oil, are not academic, they are the real constraints and opportunities that will determine whether Ghana can build stronger value-added exports in the next phase,” he said.
Mr Ahi said the Ministry remained committed to working closely with partner institutions and the private sector to deepen export-led growth and support Ghana’s industrial transformation over the next decade.
