By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, Oct. 26, GNA – Ms. Augustina Serwaa Danquah, Head of Training at The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has urged Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to be abreast with technology and understand the cultural dynamics of where products were sent.
She entreated them to build a strong local clientele base and become ready for the competitive market ahead of them.
Ms. Augustina Serwaa Danquah said this at the opening of the export school for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Takoradi.
The training would equip participating businesses with the requisite skills and knowledge required to participate in the export and import market to help them avoid breaches, meet products specification and delivery timelines, and avoid products rejections on the international market.
The Head of Training urged them to ask the customer what he or she wanted, the message on the product should be clear and short and be punctual with their deliveries.
She said the Export School was one of the strategies adopted by GEPA to shape and expand the required workforce for the export industry, sharpen the skills of the SMEs to be able to take their business to the next level.
Also, it is to build the capacity of exporters in the various stages to enable them to compete favourably in the international market.
Albert Kasim Diwura, Deputy Executive Officer of GEPA said the SMEs would learn basics in bookkeeping, access to financing, legal contract, product certification, market hub and branding.
“So, we have about 15 courses put together on how to use social media to market themselves, compete with other nations for internationals trade shows among others and at the end of the five day-training, the SMEs will be able to collaborate among themselves” he said.
He advised the participants who were venturing into exports to understand the rules and regulations of the external markets.
Mrs. Ursula Tawiah, Western and Western North Regions Zonal Officer of GEPA, explained that National Export Development Strategy (NEDS) provides a sharp vision of the desired evolution.
She noted that Ghana’s Non-Traditional Export sector had a roadmap for attaining the NEDS, thus the need for the Export school.
Ms Tawiah said the ‘Introduction of Marketing Hub’ had become a critical component of Trade and encouraged businesses to research properly before the product was branded.
“Do research to build your business, if you do not register with GEPA, you cannot export your product. You need proper documentation before you can export your products” she advised.
GNA