By Gloria Anderson
Forty Ghanaian exporters have been carefully selected to be part of Compete Ghana´s “Enterprise Export Enhancement Programme” EEEP which aims at strengthening their capacity to develop exports under the Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA).
The companies present at the workshop expressed their readiness to develop their exports to the European Union (EU) markets adhering to the regulations and standard requirements for doing business in the EU markets.
As part of the Enterprise Export Enhancement Programme EEEP, the companies will undergo a series of training and coaching sessions from Compete Ghana experts on key aspects needed to enhance their capacity to export to the EU.
At the validation workshop organised in Accra, the Compete Ghana presented the results of the export readiness assessment conducted for each company and presented the action plan for proposed interventions of the EEEP. The workshop session was highly interactive and the participants were clearly expressing their expectations and commitment to the activities being organised under the EEEP.
Under the EEEP , a series of training would be organized by Compete Ghana which is funded with the support of the EU under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry(MoTI). The companies will be assisted in developing their export strategy that aims at improving their market access and competitive position on EU markets.
The participating companies have gone through an export readiness diagnostic assessment which identified their needs and capacities to be improved.
As part of the trainings, the companies will be assigned with coaches who will mentor them in various areas where gaps have been identified in their operations
At the validation workshop, the participants were excited about the opportunity granted to them by the Compete Ghana programme and they commended the EU, MOTI for the initiative. They mentioned challenges they face exporting their products and the difficulties they go through in acquiring certifications that meets the EU standards.
Mrs Emi Beth Aku Quantson MD of Kawa Moka Coffee Roaster was enthusiastic about participating at the EEEP and said she was happy that she was introduced to the taste and demands of the EU markets, ‘’ the trainings and exposure tickles your imaginations and perspectives on what could be done to improve the quality of product range. She was also thankful for the network the trainings have offered her. For her part, Michelle Ayong-Nying Dassah said she looked forward to be part of the mentoring programme by the EEEP and that her company, which is located in Kumasi,has two products set to be introduced to the EU markets as a result of the EEEP training. She said one of the major challenges she is facing is the inability of suppliers to provide analyses of packaging materials to be attached to documents required by the EU.
Nicolas Gebara, Team Leader of Compete Ghana, expressed he was happy to work with the selected enterprises and confident the EEEP training and mentoring of enterprises will lead to increased exports among the participants. By focusing on the individual needs of the participating companies, the Compete Ghana Programme will build capacity of enterprises to meet the EU import requirements, improve on their market entry mode and successfully carry out exports to the EU
The team leader said the ‘‘EEEP had been designed to strengthen the capacity of selected companies to promote their exports to the EU market’’. He stated that the 40 companies selected have participated in a number of training sessions on specialized topics, going forward, they would be mentored by experts who would equip them to export to the European Union (EU).
Mr Raffaele Quarto, Trade Counselor, EU Delegation, said the EU market was a developed market, hence the need for exporters to be updated on the requirements. “You cannot just simply export because as you need to comply with the standards of the EU. ‘‘You cannot simply produce, packages and send to Europe, you need to be compliant to the EU standards in terms of quality of products, packaging and labelling,” he added. Mr. Quarto said, “the good thing is that once you have fulfilled the standards at the European level, then you can export everywhere in the world”.
Mr Gerald Nyarko-Mensah, Key Expert on Exports and Marketing, said the Compete Ghana, previously focused on sector analyses, but the EEEP programme is centered on assisting at individual enterprise level.
He said the emphasis was on understanding the characteristics of the individual enterprise, particularly their gaps as far as exporting to the EU was concerned.
The expert said Compete Ghana would be setting up a virtual Ghana Trade Center (GTC), driven by an e-commerce platform and backed by a physical outsourced fulfilment centre, based in the targeted market, to create a closer relationship between exporters and their buyers.
Mr Nyarko-Mensah added that the Trade Centre (GTC) would also provide information and market intelligence on opportunities in the foreign markets, promote Made in Ghana products, foster business-to-business linkages and follow up on shipments, to address post-clearance issues that may arise in the export markets.
He said market access through virtual means had become one of the fastest-growing modes of market entry and is cost-saving to enterprises.