The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has revealed plans of establishing an Export School and Impact Hub in Kumasi, Ashanti Regional Capital. This revelation was made by the CEO of GEPA, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, when she and her team paid a courtesy call on the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah on July 29, 2022.

The call was part of a roadshow being undertaken by GEPA to sensitize people on the various multilateral and regional opportunities that exist under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Dr. Afua Asabea Asare revealed that the Export School is one of the strategies under the National Export Development Strategy aimed at building and expanding the required human capital for the export industry. She indicated that establishing such school in Kumasi is very essential since the Region is replete with business men and women who can take advantage of it while serving the whole of Africa as well.

The CEO also revealed to the Ashanti Regional Minister that GEPA has plans to put up an Impact Hub in Kumasi. She explained that the idea behind Impact Hub is to provide value-added services to Small and Medium Enterprises since the Hub will incorporate entities such as Ghana Standard Authority, Food and Drugs Authority as well as Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which will have permanent desk so that SME’s can acquire the services of those entities without going through the usual struggle of moving from one place to the other.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah, lauded the plans and indicated that, the Regional Coordinating Council will support GEPA in realizing the plans. He noted that, the plans fits in well with the governments agenda to industrialize the Ashanti Region.

Though the Ashanti Region is a commercial center, there is the need for more infrastructural development. Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah indicated that, three major projects within the Region which is essential in the industrialization drive of the Region are the Kumasi International Airport Project, which is at the completion stage and expected to be commissioned soon, as well as the Inland Port Project and Railway Project. These projects, according to him are the “tripod” that will catapult the Region.