Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen
Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has tasked the reconstituted board of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC) Limited to work hard to revive the company.
According to him, government was in talks with investors, both foreign and local, to develop a world-class facility at the Trade Fair Site.
The physical structures of the once-vibrant international trade exhibition and conference centre, which is infested with snakes, are nothing to write home about.
But Mr Kyerematen, who swore in the nine-member board yesterday in Accra, spelt out government’s vision for the facility.
It included the construction of a national convention center, top class hotels, entertainment sites and financial centers that would all put Ghana on the world map of business exhibitions.
He said these formed part of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision of industrial transformation, adding that the caliber of members of the board would help GTFC to achieve its mandate.
He said GTFC could play critical roles to promote made-in-Ghana goods on the international markets.
“Your role goes beyond just managing GTFC. You are to promote Ghanaian goods beyond our borders through working in collaboration with other state agencies. Literally, every week of the year, you have to be doing something.”
The new board was additionally asked to expose Ghanaian business community to new goods and services that can be exploited to economically empower local companies.
It was tasked to decentralize industrialization by taking industry to the doorsteps of Ghanaians.
Daniel McKorley, Chairman of the board, said arguably trade was moving out of Ghana, but added that the board would do everything possible to reverse this trend.
He therefore appealed to all to support it to succeed.
Other members of the board are Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of GTFC; Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III, La Mantse; Gloria Annoh-Wiafe; Tobby Amankwah; Lawson Tornyi; Ruth Addison; Fathima Abubakar and Hubert Sevor.
BY Samuel Boadi