INDUTECH 2013 Kumasi opens to promote Ghanaian products

The Industrial and Technology Fair - INDUTECH 2013 – has opened at the Kumasi Cultural Centre to expose the Ghanaian populace to locally produced goods and services.

Some 100 exhibitors from Ghana and the West African sub-region are marketing their products and services to a projected 25,000 visitors trooping the Fair grounds.

Industrial goods being exhibited include textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, wood products, artifacts, processing machinery and agro-food products. Others are financial service providers, regulatory agencies and knowledge-based institutions.

Chief Director at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Nii Ansah Adjei, noted that the agro and agri-business sector is a priority area under the government’s new Industry Policy and the Industrial Sector Support Program.

He urged local entrepreneurs and businesses to take full advantage of opportunities offered by the Fair to build partnerships with both foreign and local counterparts represented at the Fair.

”The Ministry of Trade and Industry is with strong conviction that, as part of efforts to diversifying and expanding our export base particularly non-traditional exports, international fairs such as this one, could serve as a major vehicle to achieve this goal”, stated Mr. Adjei.

He called for the strengthening of effective collaboration between industry and knowledge-based organizations for Ghanaian producers to be innovative in the current global market.

The 6-day International Trade Fair is organized by the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo branch of Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), with the Multimedia Group as media partners.

Chairman of the event planning committee, William Awuku Ahiadormey describes patronage of exhibitors as encouraging.

He announced four sessions of side seminars to treat subjects of interest to producers and consumers.

The “Indutech 2013 Kumasi” is holding between March 27 and April 1, 2013, under the theme: “Improving Market Share of Made in Ghana Goods, the Challenges of Access to Markets in a Global Competitive Market”.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

AGI partners Multimedia Group for “Indutech 2013 Kumasi”

The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is partnering the Multimedia Group Limited to host the “Indutech 2013 Kumasi, the 1^st International Trade Fair in the Ashanti regional capital.

Over 100 exhibitors from Ghana and the West African sub-region are expected to partake in the event holding between March 27 and April 1 at the Kumasi Cultural Centre.

Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of AGI, Robert Kwakye Nketia, said the garment, pharmaceutical, artifact and agro-processing sub-sectors of the manufacturing industry would be the focus of the Fair.

The ultimate goal, he noted, is to expose the Ghanaian populace to locally produced goods and services.

The “Indutech 2013 Kumasi” has been launched under the theme “Improving Market Share of Made in Ghana Goods, the Challenges of Access to Markets in a Global Competitive Market”.

Event planning committee chair, William Awuku Ahiadormey, anticipates 30,000 visitors to troop to the fair grounds, from all parts of the country.

 

He noted Kumasi is endowed with its nodal position in Ghana Kumasi to serve as the country’s industrial hub.

“If we can help Kumasi to have a very vibrant industrial sector with a good market, we should be solving more of Ghana’s problems. The rural-urban drift that mainly ends up in Accra would have been reduced if we can develop more industries in Kumasi because it’s easier reaching Kumasi from any corner of this country,” stated Mr. Ahiadormey.

The AGI plans to institute a biannual industrial and technology fair to find markets for locally manufactured products.

Johnson Adasi, Director of Industry at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, noted that collaboration between industry and knowledge-based institutions are critical for global competitiveness.

 

According to him, the implementation of Ghana’s Industrial Policy calls for effective government, industry academia cooperation.

He entreated local entrepreneurs to take advantage of the Indutech to build partnerships that would propel Ghanaian manufacturers to expand for Ghana to be less import dependent.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh