Propak Ghana made its much-anticipated debut in Accra hosting 2,679 packaging, processing, plastics and printing exhibitors and industry stakeholders at its three-day exhibition and conference, instantly providing an unrivalled trade and business platform for the Ghanaian manufacturing sector.
Propak Ghana was held at the Grand Arena, Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from 6-8 June, 2023, serving as a platform for suppliers and service providers to display cutting-edge products and service offerings, and bringing new companies to Ghana for the first time to help drive the manufacturing industry forward.
Ghanaian exhibitors Docutech Ghana, EverPack Ghana, Finepack Industries, ICC Plastic, Jay Kay Group, Polytank Ghana, Sintex Ghana, and many more, joined up with several international companies travelling to Accra to take part in the inaugural event including CYPET Technologies, Emirates Printing Press, Fas Agro, Filmatic Packaging Systems, Galaxy Sivtek, Galdi, Neofyton, Safrique International Ltd, and others.
To address the continent’s fast-developing manufacturing sector, the event hosted around 50 speakers who delivered insightful and informative sessions on a variety of topics including circular economy, sustainability, financing options for SMEs, latest trends in print and packaging technology among others. Montgomery Group, the organizers of the event, were also thrilled to host an insightful ESG breakfast meeting alongside KPMG Ghana which brought together some of the industries experts to discuss new opportunities and trends in the ESG landscape.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, George Pearson, Regional Director – West Africa, Montgomery Group, comments, “Our objective is to establish Propak as a key support platform for Ghana’s aspirations to increase output of the ‘made in Ghana’ brand and boost its exports in the region and beyond. Currently, Ghana is exporting a high percentage of its natural raw materials, and there is no doubt that value addition can help the country maximize revenue from its exports.”
“This approach can ensure Ghana’s plan at transforming its economy from one heavily reliant on natural resources, to a true value-added exports-led economy. This strategy cannot be a reality without investment in manufacturing, increasing the use of state-of-the-art equipment and machinery, as well as human capital, since these are key ingredients in ensuring greater efficiency and effectiveness in manufacturing,” adds Pearson.
Yaw Amoateng Afriyie, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), noted that the exhibition is timely for Ghana’s export and import ecosystem: “This exhibition is timely, especially as we collectively summon the courage to do things differently and challenge antiquated dogmas that we must rely predominantly on imported brands and packaging – and that our homegrown brands are inferior or costly.”
“Again, exports remain vital to the manufacturing sector, allowing businesses to expand their reach at home and abroad, which improves our balance of payments, skilled labour, and foreign exchange. GIPC is committed to working with companies like Montgomery Group and others here to attract a blend of financing options, such as equity, debt, and mezzanine, that will leapfrog Ghana to operate at the higher ends of the packaging value chain to be able to compete at home and into the global market,” mentions Afriyie.
On his part, Albert Kassim Diwura, Deputy CEO, Human Resource & Administration, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), expressed confidence that the conference will be a catalyst for transformative change and open new doors of opportunity for Ghana’s packaging, processing, and printing sectors, and aim for a future where Ghana stands tall as a hub of excellence in packaging.
After a successful maiden event, Propak Ghana is all set to welcome thousands of attendees next year for an even bigger and better exhibition. Propak Ghana 2024 will be held at Accra from 23-25 April, 2024.
