Mavis Adjei‑Kwaa has assumed office as Executive Secretary of the Ghana International Trade Commission, pledging initiatives to bolster local industries and ensure fair competition within the domestic market.
Speaking after a brief engagement with GITC staff on April 16, 2025, she said her office would work closely with the Ministry of Trade and Agribusiness to advise President John Dramani Mahama on tax reforms aimed at helping Ghanaian businesses compete effectively with international counterparts.
Since its establishment under Act 926 of 2016 effective January 1, 2016—the Commission has been tasked with regulating international trade in conformity with global rules and protecting domestic producers. Adjei‑Kwaa said she intends to strengthen this mandate through targeted support measures and policy guidance.
In his welcome remarks, Bernad Manu Afreh, Head of Research and Planning at the Commission, assured that government initiatives to transform Ghanaian industries would receive robust backing under her leadership.
The appointment marks a significant milestone as Ghana seeks to level the playing field for its manufacturers and entrepreneurs. Past interventions such as the 65 percent import quota on machetes introduced on March 30, 2024 demonstrate the Commission’s readiness to employ trade remedies in safeguarding domestic capacity. Adjei‑Kwaa’s emphasis on tax review and internal competition signals a strategic shift toward empowering local businesses through both regulation and fiscal policy support.
Observers note that effective collaboration between the GITC and sector ministries is critical for aligning trade policy with industrial strategy, and Adjei‑Kwaa’s early outreach to the Ministry of Trade and Agribusiness underscores this institutional coordination. Her predecessor also presided over key border‑trade facilitation efforts—most notably the 2022 workshops with the POS Foundation and GIZ, which aimed to streamline small‑scale cross‑border trade processes.
Adjei‑Kwaa’s arrival heralds a renewed focus on domestic capacity‑building, fiscal reform and partnership between public agencies all aimed at ensuring Ghanaian firms thrive amid rising global competition.
Source: News Ghana / Digpu NewsTex