Ghanaian Exhibitors at the ongoing Zambia International Fair have been advised to focus on identifying business opportunities and partnerships that will lead to the signing of bigger deals.

Mr Albert Kassim Diwura, Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), who gave the advice, said while making sales at the fair was good, that should not shift attention from exploring prospects of bigger contracts.

“The focus is to ensure we hit a lot of orders such that if the exhibitors get back home, they would work to meet those orders. It is when those orders are signed and they are able to deliver that GEPA would also come in strongly just to change our export earnings,” he said.

As of 2017, non-traditional export earnings stood at $2.6 billion and GEPA is seeking to double this total in the next five years on the back of a national export development strategy document.

Mr Diwura said Ghana was participating in the fair because African countries would need to collaborate more and to trade among themselves, especially coming into force of the African continental free trade area.

Mr Diwura said Ghana seeks for win-win opportunities with Zambia and to deepen bilateral trade amongst the two countries more importantly with the coming into force of Africa Continental Free Trade, “we need to collaborate to maximize business opportunities”.

In this direction, he said, Ghana would meet the Zambia Chamber of Commerce to discuss areas that the two countries could collaborate on for their mutual benefit.

“We are looking at opportunities whereby we can do same and even do better as Ghana is well-positioned to do better and serve a lot of African countries with what we have,” he said.

Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) in efforts to enhance access of Ghanaian products into markets in Africa, is facilitating the participation of 24 exhibitors at the fair.

It is the first-time exhibitors are participating in the Zambian international fair under the auspices of GEPA.

The move is also to showcase made in Ghana goods as part of demonstrating Ghana’s belief in trade with countries on the continent.

It comes on the back of the recent choice of Ghana as the host of the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Organized by the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia, the Agriculture and Commercial Show runs from July 31st to August 5th 2019, on the theme: “Embracing Industrial Development.”

Over the years, the Show has attracted a number of exhibitors both locally and internationally. For the past 3 to 4 years, the Show has attracted over 1000 exhibitors mostly local. Countries that have shown interest in exhibiting at the Show had also increased to over 20 countries globally, resulting to over 100 companies and individuals.

The Show provides a forum for cultural exchanges locally, regionally and internationally. These exchanges are done in areas such as; agriculture, agribusiness, trade information and commercial products respectively. The Show creates opportunities for enterprising individuals and companies to showcase emerging technology in the agriculture sector, product innovation and value addition to commercial commodities.

Ghana is showcasing a wide variety of artistic expression of African creativity, skills, beauty and functionality, through handicraft, musical instrument craft, apparel and textiles, herbal medicine and garments as well as black soap and shea butter.

Also, on show are agricultural produce, including yam as well as cocoa products.

Exhibitors said the fair, which opened to a slow start on Wednesday, would pick up at the weekend.

Ghana will mark its special day at the fair on Sunday August 4.