A National Export Strategy (NES) aimed at improving Ghana's export trade competitiveness has been developed for implementation from the beginning of next year. The overall objective of the NES is to develop the potential of the non-traditional export sector and maximise export earnings to achieve a strategic growth target of $5.0 billion within the next five years. The strategy is expected to create about 1000 formal job opportunities and ensure high standards of Jiving for the people. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hannah Tetteh, announced this in Accra on Tuesday when she took her turn at the Meet-the-Press series. She said in the first half of 2011 non-traditional exports increased by 38.24 per cent from $792.87 million in the first half of 2010 to $1,096.10 million in the same period of 2011, adding that it was envisaged that Ghana Export Promotion Authority’s target of$1,865 million for 2011 would be met. She said the ministry had been pursuing the agenda of export-led growth as it believed that economic growth would be achieved through increased international trade, hence its commitment to encourage the export trade sector and improve the competitiveness of both local industries and Ghana as a business destination. The minister said the implementation arm of the new industrial policy, the Industrial Sector Support Programme (ISSP), had been completed and launched and the inception phase activities were ongoing as full implementation was expected to commence in January 2012 to promote industrial growth. She announced that the ministry, through funding support from EDIF, had redeveloped and enhanced the Aburi Craft Village at a cost of GH¢700,000 to generate employment and enhance livelihoods, as well as promote trade in artifacts and crafts in the country and said the new facility had 10 blocks of 120 shops with a carvers hall and a machine room, among others. She said to encourage innovation, creativity and invention, the ministry, with support from the Swiss government, would continue its activities in the area of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), to assure inventors and innovators of adequate protection of their innovations and inventions. The minister said as part of efforts to promote domestic trade, the ministry had undertaken some activities such as the design of model markets to provide adequate market infrastructure. “The specific objective of this project is to help improve service delivery for both sellers and buyers in the markets, offer better security to users of the market facilities and also prevent current spate of fire outbreaks in markets,” she said. She said the ministry’s objective of building a web-based gallery was to create the platform for Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (MSME) in Ghana to exhibit their products on the world-wide web to give the necessary exposure akin to publicity and advertisement aimed at improving the level of awareness and knowledge of consumers to promote patronage of the products. Ms Tetteh said the ministry, in collaboration with the Communications Ministry, had completed plans and designs for the establishment of an ICT park which would transform enterprises, generate employment and enhance livelihoods when completed and the contract to begin development of the first phase of the park would be awarded soon. She said the ministry was implementing a project that was meant to build capacities of SMEs to enable them to bid and win contracts and to this end the ministry, in collaboration with the Public Procurement Authority, had designed a programme to train 50 SMEs in each region and so far 50 operators had been trained in the Greater Accra, Central and Western regions.