Indigenous Industries Must Be Innovative - Ministry

Mrs Josephine Dzotsi, the Volta Regional Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has said innovation and branding hold the key to market competitiveness of Ghanaian produce.

     She, therefore, advised local industry players to consider research and development for added value.

     Mrs Dzotsi said this at a Volta North SMEs Business Forum to mark the 2018 World Press Freedom Day in the Volta Region at Nkwanta.

     The forum was organised by the Volta Regional Charter of the Ghana Journalists Association with support from the Volta/Eastern branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the Volta Regional Coordinating Council and the Nkwanta District Assembly.

      It was on the theme: "Reviving Local Industries," and attracted industrialists from the Nkwanta enclave.

      Madam Dzotsi said foods such as gari, corn, and yam could be processed into a wide variety of products and branded to attract more local and international patronage.

      She said the Ministry had stimulus packages for distressed but promising industries as well as plans to establish industrial parks to facilitate collaboration and skills transfer, and urged business owners to position their enterprises to take advantage of the support.

      Mrs Lucy Tengkorang, the AGI Volta/Eastern Vice Chairperson, said local industries must take "bold steps" and adapt to the dynamic market.

      She advised them to develop new products as often as possible and said the AGI would continue to make training programmes and workshops available.

      Mrs Tenkorang said the Association would help build business networks and work to protect local industries.

      Mr Emmanuel Ampomfo, the Volta Regional Director of GRATIS Foundation, said his outfit had been positioned to locally produce small and large machines to support SMEs.

Source: GNA