Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has underscored the government’s renewed focus on industrial expansion and export-led growth following a working visit to the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry.
During engagements with the Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, directors and agency heads, the Vice President received briefings on programmes aimed at strengthening Ghana’s productive base and expanding access to continental and global markets.
She pointed to the Accelerated Export Development Programme and Ghana’s growing footprint under the African Continental Free Trade Area as key pillars of the strategy. According to the briefing, 29 Ghanaian enterprises have already been supported by the Free Zones Authority to register and access AfCFTA markets, while Ghanaian products continue to gain visibility through platforms such as the World Expo in Osaka, Japan.
The Vice President also highlighted the role of standards and regulation in export competitiveness, noting that the Ghana Standards Authority has approved 179 companies for export.
She welcomed policy measures intended to deepen local manufacturing, including proposals to ban non-ferrous scrap exports and prohibit the export of raw rubber. According to her, these interventions are designed to ensure that raw materials feed directly into domestic industry.
“Breaking imports down into their components helps us identify the spaces for local production,” she said, stressing that industrial policy must deliberately reduce reliance on finished imports.
Draft policies covering textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, automotive components and special economic zones were also discussed, as government works to establish a coherent framework for industrial growth.
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang urged institutions such as the Standards Authority to continue supporting efficiency and quality, noting that expanding production capacity is critical in light of Ghana’s youthful and rapidly growing population.
“If we can retain even 60 per cent of our national spending within our economy, the long-term impact on productivity, employment and national wealth will be transformative,” she stated.
