The support is a project by the Trade Capacity Building (TCB) programme for Ghana being implemented by UNIDO with funds from Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

It will offer technical assistance to private enterprises in the cocoa, fish, fruit and wood value chains to implement relevant quality management systems to facilitate local and international trade.

A statement signed by Ms Linda Abena Korkor Gyala, the National Expert, Marketing and Communication of the project, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the project was advertised in the dailies and interested companies signed on to it.

It said the project would assist the selected SMEs to obtain food safety, management systems and marketing certification such as the ISO 9001.

It would also support national quality infrastructure institutions, actors and companies in the export sector in order to improve industrialisation of Ghana’s economy and promote export trade.

The statement said the support is line with UNIDO’s mission of helping Ghana’s private sector in creating jobs and wealth by providing technical access to resources and support services through certification, inspection, accreditation, and standardisation in order to boost private sector competitiveness.

UNIDO's primary objective is the promotion and acceleration of industrial development in developing countries and the promotion of international industrial cooperation.

UNIDO has since 2007 been implementing the TCB programme funded by the Switzerland Government through SECO in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The statement said the project team organised a meeting with the successful applicants to establish modalities for implementation, during which representatives from about 30 companies were present.

“We have already trained experts who will assist selected companies and pay them till you get the international standards,” it said.

The statement said: “Now is the turn to focus on the private sector since we have done so much with the public sector. We are not asking you to pay anything but just be committed to signing on the programme and be committed to getting the desired results”.