Ghana moves to avoid ban of non-traditional exports

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has lined up swift moves to prevent a ban of the country’s non-traditional exports to Europe.

Ghana, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, keeps receiving alerts from the European Union (EU) over the contamination of non-traditional exports.

Speaking on TV3’s News 360 on Thursday, July 9, Gideon Quarcoo indicated that action will be taken on the alerts from the EU.

The Authority last year imposed a three-month ban on non-traditional exports in order to consider concerns raised about the products.

According to Mr Quarcoo, Ghana cannot afford to reduce, let alone suffer a ban on, its exports as the country has targeted to generate about $5 billion from exports by 2019.

“So when they see a recurrence, you potentially could even receive a ban of that particular item and, of course, that will be dire in terms of its impact on the economy,” he said.

Ghana raked in $768.9 million from exports in 2013 with the figure rising to $951.9 million the following year.

The country’s is arguably the largest exporter of non-traditional products within the West African sub-region.

“There would have to be an inspection or quarantine facility that allows for inspectors to use equipment, sometimes sophisticated equipment, to examine items that are brought for inspection prior to being shipped out of this country.”