The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry,

in collaboration with USAID West Africa, organized a Sensitisation and Capacity Building Workshop for exporters and potential exporters under the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), on Tuesday, 24th September, 2019 at the Ghana Shippers’ House, Ridge, Accra.

The main objective of the workshop was to equip participants with the needed information to enable them take informed decisions to export and trade with the United States under the AGOA initiative and also activate and take advantage of the utilisation of the National AGOA Response Strategy.

Speaking at the workshop, the President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nana Dr. Appiagyei Dankawoso I, shared with participants the numerous opportunities available to them under the AGOA initiative. The President said the decision of the Chamber to organize the capacity building workshop was in recognition of the critical role that access to information and capacity building play in sustaining business growth. He said the workshop was aimed at strengthening the soft and hard skills of business owners to stay competitive and improve their business operations towards growth and prosperity.

An AGOA specialist, Mr. Kara Diallo, took participants through an informative presentation that educated them on the benefits of AGOA, Country and product eligibility criteria, Documentation and Export Procedures, Basic Requirements for foodstuff export to US, US FDA Facility Registration, Labelling, Standards and Certifications, Trade shows and compliance in the Handicraft sector for the US market etc.

Mr. Mickson Opoku, the Principal Commercial Officer, representing the Minister of Trade and Industry, followed-up with a presentation on the Ghana’s AGOA National Strategy, its objectives and implementation status.

Also present at the workshop were the Director of Economic Trade and Investment Bureau (ECTIB) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms. Khadija Iddrisu, representatives from Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Exim Bank, and the media.