By Emmanuel Gamson
Sekondi (W/R), Aug. 17, GNA – Mr Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, has observed a working disconnection between state agencies is affecting the development of the region.
He said the issue was costing the region jobs and billions in export revenue, while also depriving the region of fully benefiting from its rich mineral resources.
He raised the concerns when Mr Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), paid a courtesy call him at his office, in Sekondi.
Mr Nelson argued that a disconnect between key state institutions was a major bottleneck preventing the region from fully capitalising on its rich resources and industrial base.
He said: “For example, when the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre registers companies operating in the region, the Regional Coordinating Council often remains in the dark regarding information on these investments.”
He said the lack of information sharing meant the RCC could not effectively support businesses or address issues, such as community disputes, until they escalated into crises.
The Western Regional Minister called for a unified front in the region’s economic development agenda, noting that there must be a more deliberate information-sharing mechanism among institutions.
Mr Arthur for his part, said the GEPA would put in place strategies to ensure better synergy and bringing support closer to businesses.
He said the Authority was seeking to implement a “One District, One Exportable Product” initiative aimed at identifying local products and connect them to international markets.
He said his visit to the Western Regional Minister was, therefore, to solicit his support through the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to assist the Authority to identify exportable products in their various areas as part of the initiative.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Emmanuel GamsonÂ
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