As Ghana celebrates National Chocolate Week, the Ghana Free Zones Authority is excited to highlight the unique contribution of some Licenced companies operating within the cocoa value chain.
These companies include Barry Callebaut, Cargill Ghana Limited, Chocomac Ghana Limited, and Cocoa Processing Company Limited, FairAfric, Niche Cocoa, and Cocoa Touton Processing Company Limited.
Together, these companies have invested more than US$100million into the economy and have contributed over US$3billion in exports since inception
The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Amb. Mike Oquaye Jnr, and Deputy CEO Kate Abbeo led the team in marking the Day, and also took time to enjoy the sweet taste of Ghana’s rich cocoa products.
Sharing his views on the week-long activity, Amb Oquaye touched on job creation as one of the critical measures of success for activities of the Ghana Free Zones Authority – adding that: “We remain ready to provide the needed support for investors willing to invest in the manufacturing sector, as it remains key to Ghana’s industrialisation and job creation agenda”.
As part of its mission, the GFZA aims to help transform Ghana into the Gateway to West Africa by creating an attractive and conducive business environment through the provision of competitive free zone incentives, and operation of an efficient one-stop-shop for the promotion and enhancement of domestic and foreign investment.
The GFZA is structured to promote the processing and manufacturing of goods through the establishment of Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and encourage the development of commercial and service activities at sea and airport areas.
As the international market demand for cocoa is growing, the GFZA will continue to encourage and support its value-adding cocoa processing enterprises to do more than the traditional products of chocolate, cocoa powder and butter, but also venture into other ways of using cocoa and its by-products in processing chocolate liquors, poultry and livestock feed, fertiliser, confectionaries, soaps, mulches and pharmaceuticals.
