The continued wholesale exportation of raw gold and other precious metals has been identified as a major contributor to the dying jewellery industry in Ghana. The practice is also said to drive traditional goldsmithing and related artisanal trades in the industry to the brink of collapse. These concerns featured prominently among other outpourings by industry players at the opening of the second Gold Statement ’08 exhibition at the Accra International Conference Centre, under the theme, “Branding Ghana in Gold through Jewellery Production for Tourisms and Export: the Way Forward.” The three-day exhibition which seeks to build a common voice for players in an otherwise vibrant trade, is a specialized fair of indigenous Ghanaian gold jewelry orgainsed by Rapport Services under the auspices of the Ministries of Trade and Industry, PSD & PSI and Tourism and Diasporan Relations. The Association of Indigenous Miners and the Federation of Ghanaian Jewellers are collaborators. Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President’s Special Initiative, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who performed official opening ceremonies, said the government has realized the harmful and unproductive nature of the practice of exporting everything raw and was pushing for value addition to the nation’s ore and other raw products before export. Pledging the support of his ministry to support goldsmiths and other jewellery producers to improve and increase output so as to take advantage of opportunities in global markets, the minister said real challenges faced the players who require enormous support. “We have to build the capacities of our jewellers through product development, technology acquisition, skills development, access to capital and markets among others”. He said since 2001, jewellery export performance has been generally poor, showing declining fortunes over the years. “Export data on jewellery shows that in 2001 the country exported US 14.89 million dollars worth of assorted jewellery which fell to US11.31 million dollars in 2002 and plunged to S5.20 million worth of assorted jewellery but in 2002 the value fell to $11.31 million and then to $5.20 million in 2004. “There was a marked improvement in the export performance in 2005 as the value increased to $20.88 million as against $5.20 million in 2004. However, the increase in 2005 could not be sustained as the value further declined from US$20.88 million to US$4.49 million in 2006 and thereafter to US$3.796 million in 2007. This situation demands that we do everything possible to reverse the trend.” He said a Ghana Product Gallery of made-in-Ghana goods is to be set up under the Medium and Small Medium Enterprise (MSME)/World Bank Project and urged the jewelers to take advantage of it and propagate their skill and trade. The Minister said the government recognised the potential of the craft industry as part of critical building blocks in the implementation of the country’s Trade Sector Support Programme in view of its export potential and its linkage to domestic resources, explaining that three categories of operatives in the industry, namely exporters, mass producers and niche market producers had been identified for support. Besides this, he said efforts were also ongoing to complete and expand and operationalize craft villages established at Aburi, Kpando (Fesi and Aloyi), Salaga, Bolgatanga and Anwhia with support from the HIPC Funds.