President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed businessman Daniel McKorley as Chairman of the reconstituted Board of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited (GTFCL).

At a ceremony to swear in the Board members, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, told the Board that the government, through the ministry, is redeveloping the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited (GTFCL) into a major trade hub in the sub-region.

According to the minister, as part of this agenda, the company and the trade fair site are undergoing a major transformation and redevelopment, at the core of which is the development of a state-of-the-art Convention and Exhibition Centre of international standard supported by a mix of commercial facilities including hotels, offices, retail and leisure centres.

The minister informed the Board that the concept of the project has been developed, master plan approved and a land title secured.

Additionally, an infrastructure developer has been procured and the site has been cleared in readiness for the redevelopment.

He has, therefore, tasked the Board members to use their worth of knowledge and depth of experience to help efforts at restoring the enormous commercial and economic significance of the company by providing the platform for businesses to position themselves and tap into the long-range of business prospects that the Trade Fair Company offers.

The company’s redevelopment project, which covers an area of about 156 acres, when completed, would create a well-coordinated and well-managed world-class multi-purpose international Trade Fair Centre capable of attracting global trade and investment into the country and position Ghana as a regional trade fair hub, generate additional tax revenue from businesses and generate an estimated 10,000 jobs from the planning, construction to post-construction management.

Members of the Board include the Chief of La, the Chief Executive of the Company (Dr Agnes Adu), and Gloria Annoh-Wiafe.

The others are Mr Tobby Amankwah, Elvis Morris Donkor, Mrs Ruth O. Addison, Cecilia Gambrah and Mr Hubert Sevor

In a related development, Mr Kyerematen also swore into office, the seven-member governing body of the Ghana Heavy Equipment Ltd (GHEL). 

The company has the sole mission of providing reliable machinery and equipment and excellent after-sales service to all sectors of the economy, particularly the agricultural and industrial sectors.

However, due to several challenges, the company has not been able to achieve this mission.

The minister, therefore, tasked the Board to revive this important enterprise to enable it play its key role in supporting the economic transformation of the country.

He said achieving the task would require them being innovative, complying with good corporate governance practices, exploring ways of capitalising on the enterprise and ensuring that they take advantage of the opportunities presented by the government’s flagship programmes such as the One District-One Factory (1D1F), Planting for Foods and Jobs and the Strategic Anchor Industries.

The minister suggested that the Board could, for example, focus on the supply of the requisite industrial machinery that are fit-for-purpose, eco-friendly, energy-efficient and suited for Ghana’s climatic conditions.

He also advised them to take advantage of the Automotive Development Policy to nurture partnerships for component manufacturing as another way of diversifying their portfolio to revive the company.

The Board is chaired by Mr Ridwan Abass and the members include Mr Yaw Ntow Ababio (Chief Executive of the company) as well as Dr Dickson Adomako Kissi.

The rest are Mr Robert Bediako Asare, Mr Alex Blankson, Chief Alidu Abubakari and Mr Prince Opoku Edusei.