Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has voiced the government’s firm resolve to bolster Ghana’s trade, agribusiness, and industrial sectors, pledging unwavering support to the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry to fulfill its national development goals.
During a working visit to the Ministry on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Professor Opoku-Agyemang received a warm welcome from Minister Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, alongside directors, staff, and agency heads.
The Vice President described the tour as part of wider consultations with key ministries especially those led by women to grasp their operations, hurdles, and resource needs, fostering inclusive governance, teamwork, and operational efficiency.
“I came to see the work you are doing, what is happening, and how we can better support you. We are here to encourage you, appreciate you and assure you that we are committed to helping you do even more for the country,” she declared.
She praised the Ministry’s emphasis on local manufacturing, value enhancement, and empowering women and youth, positioning the country to leverage its resources and industrial strengths.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang called for cross-agency synergy, rejecting siloed operations in favor of robust partnerships to hasten development.
She highlighted enthusiasm for local raw material sourcing, such as rubber cultivation for tires and reviving the sugar sector, which she said generates jobs from cultivation through processing, packaging, and sales.
The Vice President lauded the push for Made-in-Ghana products as vital for economic stability, productivity, and independence, urging better training, tools, and assessments.
“If we all come on board and work together, we can build a very productive country and make a real difference,” the Vice President emphasized.
She endorsed the Ministry’s drive for women-led businesses and youth jobs as central to equitable growth, tasking bodies like the GRATIS Foundation to curb imports by boosting local production.
Crucially, Professor Opoku-Agyemang committed to urging the Finance Minister to fast-track incentives and policies for investment and industrial growth.
In her preceding briefing, Minister Ofosu-Adjare detailed the Ministry’s yearly accomplishments and 2026 roadmap, spotlighting reforms to cut business costs, revive manufacturing, scale agribusiness via commercial farming contracts, and lure funds into value-added output.
Ofosu-Adjare flagged raw material shortages as a key industry bottleneck, with factories idling below capacity, and outlined remedies like land deals for farming, supply chain integration, and agro-processing aid.
The Minister highlighted milestones, including stretching export repatriation to 120 days from 60, ramped-up AfCFTA engagement, broader global market entry via trade expos, and drafting policies for manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, auto parts, and special economic zones.
Source: www.Kumasimail.com
