Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson has urged government institutions responsible for investment and export promotion to strengthen their engagement with the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) to maximise the region’s economic potential.

He said closer cooperation among the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and the WRCC would help ensure that investments attracted to the region contribute meaningfully to job creation, increased production and export growth.

Mr Nelson made the call when the Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, paid a working visit to him during his tour of the Western Region to assess the authority’s operations and activities.

He said Ghana’s persistent reliance on imports made it necessary to expand domestic production and intensify efforts to promote exports.

The Minister identified the Western Region as a key contributor to that agenda because of its natural resources, industrial activities and strategic economic position.

“The potential of this region, regarding its productive base and export promotion, is enormous. So, we should collaborate more to see how we can improve on this very important development agenda,” he said.

Mr Nelson, however, raised concerns about what he described as inadequate information-sharing between the regional administration and investment promotion institutions.

He said the WRCC was often unaware of companies operating in the region despite their registration by agencies such as GIPC.

“When you register companies, for example, and they come to the region, where do they go? And if the WRCC doesn't know of them, how do we complement the effort? How do we support them?” he asked.

He said the lack of coordination could limit the region’s ability to support investors and respond effectively when challenges, including disputes with host communities, arise.

Mr Nelson therefore called for a structured system for investment and export promotion agencies to regularly share information with the WRCC and coordinate their activities.

According to him, greater collaboration would prevent state institutions from working in isolation and enable them to combine their respective mandates and networks to build a stronger investment environment while boosting the Western Region’s contribution to Ghana’s export and economic development agenda.