The Management of the Ghana Export-Import (GEXIM) Bank has undertaken scheduled visits to communities in the Volta and Oti Regions to empower the private sector to explore and develop natural resources in the two regions.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) in charge of Finance and Administration, Mrs. Nana Akyaa Obeng-Adiyiah led the visits, which culminated in engagements with the policymakers, the private sector and communities in Ho, and Dambai, Regional Capitals respectively.
The four-day community sensitization campaign and Stakeholders engagements were held from 5th to 8th April, 2022.
According to the Deputy CEO, the sensitization and engagement exercise was a unique platform to inform the communities about the establishment of GEXIM-funded 1D1F Projects and to seek their buy-in and support for the successful operations of these projects through producing and supplying the needed raw materials to ensure the sustainability of the factories.
At Dambai, the Regional Capital of Oti, Mrs. Nana Akyaa Obeng-Adiyiah and her team met some key stakeholders to obtain adequate information on the Non-Traditional Export (NTE) products and raw materials their communities were endowed with, to enable the Bank to partner with them to add value to those resources, generate employment, attract global patronage and rope in export earnings for the country.
She was quick to add that the Bank’s focus areas include poultry, mangoes, cashew, Shea, Pharmaceuticals, Cassava, Creative Arts, Garment and Apparel, Cocoa products, and Pineapple.
Additionally, she reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to collaborate with promoters of businesses to establish more factories similar to that of CH Global Foods factory, producers of Yam and Cassava chips at Addo Nkwanta in the Krachi East District.
The Oti Regional Minister, Hon. Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu, on his part, stated that the region is strategically located to benefit from some positive externalities from both Northern and Southern Ghana in terms of weather conditions, which provide them with the opportunity to cultivate seasonal crops all year round.
The Regional Minister, therefore, appealed to the Bank to adopt the Oti Region as its ‘baby’ and provide the entrepreneurs with the needed financial support to establish businesses for rapid development.
At Ho, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, thanked the Bank for supporting quite a number of businesses in the region. He applauded the Bank for engaging key stakeholders in the region and asked the management of the Bank to sustain it.
He also advised the participants of the forum to take advantage of the numerous opportunities the Bank had enumerated. ‘’Do identify potential businesses in your communities that could benefit from the Bank’s facilities and encourage them to apply,’’ he added.
On behalf of the GEXIM delegation, Mrs Obeng Adiyiah pledged, to replicate the visits in other regions where the Bank has supported similar businesses.
The Ghana EXIM Bank (GEXIM), in support of the President’s agenda to transform the economy of Ghana into an export-led one, has played a major role in the rolling out of the Government’s 1D1F Initiative.
