The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Finance and Administration) of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), Mr. Musah Sibri Hamidu represented the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mary Awusi at this year’s Africa Industrial Trade Show (AITS 2025), held at the Accra International Conference Center on 2nd April, 2025.
The event, organized by the Economic Zones Chamber (EZC), provided a strategic platform for industry representatives to deliberate on ways of promoting industrial growth, hold high-level business-to-business (B2B) networking, and showcase cutting-edge innovations in manufacturing, trade, and industrial development.
Engaging the media, Mr. Hamidu used the forum to speak on the crucial role that Ghana’s Free Zones play in the promotion of industrial development in Ghana. He shared insights on the need to forge strategic collaborations among industry players and called on export-oriented businesses to take advantage of the generous incentives offered by the Free Zones Scheme to boost their exports for Ghana’s economic development.
The Director for Marketing and Investment Promotion, Ms. Anita Novi Quashie, partook in one of the panel discussions for the day and explained the Free Zone concept and its positive impact on the country’s export growth. She threw light on the generous incentives of the Scheme, highlighting the tax and import duty exemptions for Free Zone Enterprises. She explained further that the GFZA and the 70/30 export threshold for exports and domestic sales are backed by the Free Zones Act, as such, any calls for a change in the export requirement to bring onboard more domestic companies would require an amendment of the law.
On the sidelines of the event, an exhibition, which would span 3 days, was opened for about 100 exhibitors to showcase the products and services to attendees. The GFZA secured a booth at the exhibition to project the Free Zones Scheme.
Other institutions present at the event included the Ghana EXIM Bank, Development Bank Ghana, Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms, LMI Holdings, Free Zone Enterprises, Exhibitors and other players in the industrial space.
