Ms Gifty Kekeli Klenam, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to make their business domain investor friendly.

She said "investor-winning" is a competitive venture and asked the MMDCES to identify, secure, and provide roads, electricity and water on available lands to make them serviceable and attractive to investors.

Ms Klenam, who was addressing a meeting of MMDCEs and other stakeholders on the implementation of the National Export Strategy’s “One District One Exportable-Product" concept, said government considered exports as the prime mover of development hence the need for each assembly to develop at least one exportable product.

She said identifying and developing exportable products in each district would provide raw materials for industries and boost government’s “One District One Factory Policy”.

Ms Klenam said GEPA is being structurally and fundamentally realigned to play its role in the export value chain and would operate regional offices with district representatives to help implement the concept.

She said a target of USD 10 billion in Non Traditional Exports in four years had been set by GEPA, to be achieved through the development and promotion of exportable products.

Mr Harry Bleppony, an official of the Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, said oil seeds and nuts as well as horticultural products were the leading exports in 2016, and that the choice of exportable products hinged on market demand.

He said a total of 23 National Export Development projects would be implemented across five thematic areas which include the expansion of product and supply base, export market development, incentives and regulatory framework among others.

Mr Theophilus Osei Owusu, Deputy Director, Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services, said extension officers must play a critical role in the export value chain, as products for export requires high quality standards and best practices.

He said the Volta Region requires at least 400 extension officers but was currently served by less than 200, and this is worrying.