Launch Of Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Programme Phase II

The Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Program II (GPSCP II) got off to a great start in Accra last year. ⭐ Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, the bilateral program aims to contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth through enhanced trade and competitiveness in the cashew and oil palm value chains. 👩🏿‍🌾

Attended by close to 100 participants, the GPSCP II launch event featured representatives from SECO, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, HE Simone Giger, Minister for Trade & Industry, Hon. K.T. Hammond, Deputy Minister for Food & Agriculture, Hon. Yaw Frimpong Addo, CEO of Tree Crops Development Authority, Hon. William Quaittoo and a Director from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mrs. Doris Agyei-Henaku. 👏🏿

Also in attendance were the Project Director for GPSCP II (Karen Smith from NIRAS), Team Leader for GPSCP II (Ebenezer Ato Obu S., who formerly led a NIRAS-implemented Challenge Fund investing in skills development in Ghana) and Africa Regional Director for Proforest (Abraham Baffoe) and other development partners and stakeholders including from the private sector.

NIRAS is partnering on the implementation of GPSCP II with Proforest, an NGO that supports companies throughout supply chains to have positive social and environmental outcomes in the places where commodities are produced. By building on the achievements of the first phase of GPSCP, phase II aims at continuously improving the enabling environment for the cashew and palm oil sectors. 🌴 Gender and ESG considerations are also at the heart of programme design and implementation. The GPSCP II will deliver its mandate using three implementation modalities:

💡 Strategic Cooperation Partnership: set up to strengthen the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), with its mandate of regulating the cashew and oil palm sectors and facilitate high-impact reform;

💡 Rapid Response Mechanism: a fund through which Ministries, Departments, and Agencies under the Government of Ghana can access financial support to align and advance reform efforts that generate systemic benefits for the market systems of cashew and oil palm;

💡 Development Partnership with the Private Sector: a matching grant fund for the private sector to strengthen processing, market linkages, service provision, sector associations, access to finance, and skills development in the cashew and oil palm value chains.

“Taking the GPSCPII to the next level necessitates strong partnerships among relevant ministries, agencies as well as between private and public actors. We urge all stakeholders to actively participate in coordination efforts to contribute to the program’s success,” H.E Simone Giger said. “Let yourselves be inspired by Switzerland – where we have a rich tradition of deliberation, dialogue and cooperation.”

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