Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, has held talks with stakeholders in the rubber industry as the government moves to strengthen local processing and enforce restrictions on raw rubber exports.
The discussions focused on challenges facing the sector, including concerns over raw rubber pricing, supply chain bottlenecks and the implementation of government policies aimed at supporting domestic industrialization.
Ofosu-Adjare said the government remains committed to building an industrialized economy where raw materials are processed locally rather than exported in unprocessed form.
She urged industry players to comply with the government’s ban on raw rubber exports, saying the ministry would work with relevant institutions to resolve constraints affecting the sector and improve outcomes for stakeholders across the value chain.
The meeting brought together rubber farmers, processors, industry associations, officials from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Tree Crops Development Authority and other participants across the rubber value chain.
The push forms part of broader efforts by the administration to increase local manufacturing capacity, create jobs and retain more value from agricultural commodities within the domestic economy.
Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, called for closer collaboration among stakeholders to protect investments in the sector and strengthen the competitiveness of Ghana’s rubber industry.
Ghana has been seeking to expand value addition in agriculture as policymakers push industries to process more raw commodities domestically, reducing dependence on exports of unprocessed materials while boosting industrial output and export earnings.
The engagement is part of the trade ministry’s continuing consultations with industry players to address structural challenges in the agribusiness sector and improve competitiveness.
