International exhibition company, Afrocet Montgomery, has hosted over 2,500 packaging, processing, plastics and printing exhibitors and industry players at its three-day exhibition and conference to provide insight, knowledge and thought leadership on the trends and relevant topics.

Propak Ghana, the exhibition, held in Accra, provided a platform for suppliers and service providers to display cutting-edge products and service offerings, showcasing the latest technology, bring new companies to Ghana for the first time, act as a unique platform for those more established, and ultimately help drive the manufactural industry forward.

To address the continent’s fast-developing manufacturing sector, the event hosted 50 speakers delivering sessions on the circular economy, sustainability, financing options for SMEs, the latest trends in print and packaging technology, and many other insightful and informative sessions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, George Pearson, Regional Director – West Africa, at Afrocet Montgomery said “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 naturally-produced products in the raw state, 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”, he added.  

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Yaw Amoateng Afriyie noted 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 the Montgomery Group and others here to attract a blend of financing options, e.g., 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”, he mentioned.

On his part, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Albert Kassim Diwura, was confident 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.

To round off George Pearson shared his thanks to their headline sponsors, Mohinani Group, and headline partners AGI as well as other sponsors Jaykay Global, Neofyton, Engel, Fujairah Plastics and Tetrapak and welcome all to join them next year at the end of April for the second instalment of the only exhibition in Ghana for the packaging, plastics, processing industries.