Ghana signs MOU with Dubai to boost chocolate trade

Value addition will boost cocoa imports

Ghana is second-largest cocoa producer

Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre has disclosed that Ghana has signed a Memorandum of understanding with the Emirates to ensure that Ghana Chocolate is marketed in the United Arab Emirates.

He stated that there was high interest for Ghanaian chocolate during the Gulf Expo in Dubai earlier this year where producers and marketers showed keen interest in doing business with Ghana.

He made this revelation when he spoke to the media on the sidelines of The Chocolatarium – The business of Chocolate summit as part of the National Chocolate Week organized by the Ghana Tourism Authority said.

“GIPC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Association of Beverages in the Emirates which is a big and powerful entity. The focus of this is to ensure that most of their producers [Emirates] buy their cocoa or their raw products from Ghana, and as I did say I already had request from three companies who are ready to establish in Ghana for that market.”

“We also encourage them not to only produce for our market but also for the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement which is a much bigger market.”

He further called on local investors and the private sector to collaborate with the Ghana Cocoa Board to raise funds for value addition industries in the country.

“I’m sure the financial agencies here could easily work with CocoBod to come up with the funds that would invest in adding up to the value addition of the cocoa, even private sector can invest in this.”