Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, has said that effective packaging is critical in the safe delivery of high quality products in the global supply chain.
“Strong and attractive packaging does not only help in containing, protecting and extending the shelf life of products, but also helps in branding and selling products and ensuring the safe delivery of products to the consumer”, he said at the launch of the third edition of the Small and Medium Enterprise Ghana Award in Accra.
The SME Award is on the theme: Sustaining Ghana’s SMEs in the globally competitive market through local support for Made-in-Ghana products as consumers’ first choice of having quality content and attractive packaging”.
The Minister noted that packaging had been identified as one of the major reasons for the failure of locally manufactured goods to compete with imported goods, even though there seem to be some improvement.
He said for high quality packaging, companies resort to imported packaging materials to ensure that their products are attractive and comparable to international standards.
Dr Spio-Garbrah said local packaging converters and users are unable to meet the demands for high quality packaging due to inadequate or old fashioned technology and machinery, and inadequate skills in packaging technology due to absence of institutions for training.
He said 70 per cent of all industrial establishments are in the SME sector and it is estimated that 85 per cent of manufacturing employment in the country comes from the sector, contributing to the overall export earnings from non-traditional export sector.
Dr Spio-Garbrah said it is prudent to patronize home made goods and services which is key for the growth and development of SMEs since it would help manufacturers and service providers to stay in operation and contribute towards national economic development.
He urged Ghanaian SMEs to come together and form a stronger partnership to raise enough capital for expansion.
Mr Kwasi Ofosu Jnr, Head of Marketing at Imaging 8, organizers of the awards, said the awards ceremony was instituted to recognize the achievements of SMEs and individuals of entrepreneurial excellence in the country.
He said the award focuses on innovation, creativity, productivity, the use of technology to promote business growth in the sector, good management practices and corporate governance.
Mr Ofosu Jnr said the ceremony would consider product quality and market competiveness among businesses, aimed to promote the Made-in-Ghana brand for the global market.
He said as part of the programme, there will be a three-day wellness conference with Mindworks Ghana and Imagine 8 in May, regional empowerment from May to October and a two-day conference and Expo from September 27 to 28.
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