Lawrence Agyinsam – CEOof GEXIM
THE GHANA Export and Import (GEXIM) Bank has begun a nation-wide campaign dubbed Made-In-Ghana 4P to encourage Ghanaians to support the growth and development of indigenous businesses.
This is aimed at facilitating the transformation of Ghana’s economy into an export-led one by supporting and developing trade between Ghana and other countries and also building Ghana’s capacity and competitiveness in the international marketplace.
For the past three and half years, GEXIM has been the main financial institution driving the realization of the 1D1F Special Initiative aimed at the socioeconomic development of the country.
Why Made-in-Ghana?
Part of the GEXIM’s mandate is to assist in the promotion of locally produced goods and services to enhance export revenue generation, improve import-substitution, add value and create employment in the country. It was against this backdrop that this campaign was launched.
GEXIM said the campaign was also aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship among the citizenry by investing in the production of local goods and services; encouraging businesses in local production to promote their products and services for both local and foreign consumption; and encouraging Ghanaians to choose local over foreign goods, help local businesses grow, provide opportunities and reduce the dependency on imported goods.
“The more Ghanaians patronize locally produced goods and services, the more businesses will grow and provide opportunities for others, which in effect will put the country on track to becoming self-sufficient and relying less on imports,” it said.
The campaign also intended to prosper local producers.
GEXIM Support
Sectors that have received financial support from GEXIM Bank include the pharmaceutical, poultry, shea, creative arts, garments, pineapple, cassava, avocado, orange fresh sweet potatoes, mango, cocoa products and oil palm.
Some of the factories that have been completed include Amantin Cassava Processing Starch Factory, Casa de Ropa, Akro Poultry Farm, Juaben Oil Mills, Green Houses at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Cape Coast, among many others.
A business desk report