By Kofi Ahovi
Figures released by the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC) show that Non-Traditional Exports (NTE) for the first quarter 2010 amounted to US$399.57 million, recording a growth of 29.86% over the US$307.69 million revenue for the same period of 2009.
The total export revenue for the first quarter of 2010 is made up of earnings from the three main sub-sectors namely Processed and Semi-processed, Agriculture and Handicrafts.
Processed and Semi-processed products for the period under review accounted for US$ 353.49 million representing 84.47% of NTEs, Agricultural produce US$45.57 million representing 11.40% and handicrafts US$ 0.51 million contributing 0.13%.
The Processed and Semi-processed and Agricultural sub-sectors also grew positively by 34.36% and 3.95% respectively over the 2009 earnings. The handicrafts sub-sector however continues to suffer decline and in the period under review registering another negative growth of 32%.
Approximately 394 different products were exported in the period under review.
The highest earner (cocoa paste) and lowest earner (shea butter) of the top10 leading products earned US$132.41 million and US$5.10 million respectively. The total value of the top ten earning products amounted to US$ 278.43 million representing over 69% of the total NTEs for the period under review. Cocoa paste, which is the biggest earner, contributed over 33% to the total NTEs.
The performance of the NTE sector by markets indicates that the markets of the European Union and ECOWAS absorbed 51.81% and 25.12% respectively of NTE exports from Ghana. Other African countries, other developed countries as well as other countries including emerging markets absorbed 2.39%, 8.31%, 12.37% respectively of NTE exports from Ghana.
France top the countries that imported NTEs from Ghana with a total of the US$53.8 million followed by the Netherlands with US$52.8 million and UK with US$32.6 million.
According to GEPC, with adequate funding from the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) it will continue to aggressively implement the appropriate export development and promotion programs earmarked for 2010 to enable it achieve its target of US$1.4 billion.
In a related development, exporters and businesses who engage GEPC will now have dedicated business oriented officials to assist them in their dealings.
This follows an overhaul in the Council’s approach to business.
Its Chief Executive Kwadwo Owusu Agyeman explained that clients will from this month experience a more business friendly environment and be serviced by personnel oriented to current trends in export promotion.
“Now we have division for product development and another division for product marketing and promotion.
“So what one division used to do before now two divisions are going to do it which means that more attention to the product.
“We have also changed our registration system. Whereas before people will come here get one certificate and use it for all purposes and forever, now our certificate is going to be good for one year and when you come back to renew it we look at your activities for the previous year and determine what category to put you in and whether or not you are even fit to be registered as an exporter,” he explained.
Figures released by the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC) show that Non-Traditional Exports (NTE) for the first quarter 2010 amounted to US$399.57 million, recording a growth of 29.86% over the US$307.69 million revenue for the same period of 2009.
The total export revenue for the first quarter of 2010 is made up of earnings from the three main sub-sectors namely Processed and Semi-processed, Agriculture and Handicrafts.
Processed and Semi-processed products for the period under review accounted for US$ 353.49 million representing 84.47% of NTEs, Agricultural produce US$45.57 million representing 11.40% and handicrafts US$ 0.51 million contributing 0.13%.
The Processed and Semi-processed and Agricultural sub-sectors also grew positively by 34.36% and 3.95% respectively over the 2009 earnings. The handicrafts sub-sector however continues to suffer decline and in the period under review registering another negative growth of 32%.
Approximately 394 different products were exported in the period under review.
The highest earner (cocoa paste) and lowest earner (shea butter) of the top10 leading products earned US$132.41 million and US$5.10 million respectively. The total value of the top ten earning products amounted to US$ 278.43 million representing over 69% of the total NTEs for the period under review. Cocoa paste, which is the biggest earner, contributed over 33% to the total NTEs.
The performance of the NTE sector by markets indicates that the markets of the European Union and ECOWAS absorbed 51.81% and 25.12% respectively of NTE exports from Ghana. Other African countries, other developed countries as well as other countries including emerging markets absorbed 2.39%, 8.31%, 12.37% respectively of NTE exports from Ghana.
France top the countries that imported NTEs from Ghana with a total of the US$53.8 million followed by the Netherlands with US$52.8 million and UK with US$32.6 million.
According to GEPC, with adequate funding from the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) it will continue to aggressively implement the appropriate export development and promotion programs earmarked for 2010 to enable it achieve its target of US$1.4 billion.
In a related development, exporters and businesses who engage GEPC will now have dedicated business oriented officials to assist them in their dealings.
This follows an overhaul in the Council’s approach to business.
Its Chief Executive Kwadwo Owusu Agyeman explained that clients will from this month experience a more business friendly environment and be serviced by personnel oriented to current trends in export promotion.
“Now we have division for product development and another division for product marketing and promotion.
“So what one division used to do before now two divisions are going to do it which means that more attention to the product.
“We have also changed our registration system. Whereas before people will come here get one certificate and use it for all purposes and forever, now our certificate is going to be good for one year and when you come back to renew it we look at your activities for the previous year and determine what category to put you in and whether or not you are even fit to be registered as an exporter,” he explained.
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