The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, has outlined the government’s latest plan to create sustainable jobs at the local government level.
This industrialization transformation, the Minister says, will be done through a ten-point comprehensive and integrated programme.
Speaking at the 2021 Orientation programme for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Executives (MMDCEs), Mr. Kyerematen stressed that, the industrialization measures being put in place will enable Ghana to achieve rapid economic growth, create job opportunities, and to a larger extent reduce poverty and make Ghana the new manufacturing hub for Africa.
“Promoting local enterprises is the only guarantee for sustainable growth of the economy, creating jobs and building a prosperous Ghana”, the Minister stated.
Components of the programme the Ministry said will include stimulus package for existing local industries, the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, Strategic Anchor Industries Initiatives, Industrial parks and special economic zones, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development.
Other aspects to be relied on are industrial subcontracting, Export Development, Domestic Retail Trade, Business Regulatory Reforms and Public-Private Dialogue.
The totality of these is to among other things scale up the supply value chain in the country, enhance public-private partnerships, economic diversification, create friendly business environment and promote value-added exports.
SME development
This component of the ten-point plan, for instance, is designed to support directly the growth of the MSMEs across the country.
It will include the establishment of Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) for the restructuring and rebranding of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) into Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) under the GEA Act, as the apex institution for MSMEs development in Ghana.
Also, 67 Business Resource Centres (BRCs) in 67 districts nationwide.
The BRC is a One-Stop enterprise support center providing a full range of business development services, investment facilitation, and information services, and regulatory services to entrepreneurs and business enterprises at the district level.
Export development
The following are some of the priority products being promoted under the National Export Development Strategy:
1. Processed cocoa
2. Cashew (processed and in-shell)
3. Horticultural products
4. Oil seeds (processed)
5. Fish & fishery products
6. Sugar
7. Natural rubber sheets
8. Aluminium products
9. Articles of plastic
10. Textiles and Garments
11. Pharmaceuticals
12. Aluminium Products
13. Iron and Steel Products
14. Automobiles and Vehicles
15. Oil Palm Products
16. Industrial Salt
17. Petro-chemical Products
18. Machines and Machine Components
19. Industrial Starch
