“Transforming Ghana’s Economy: 30 Years of the Free Zones Program”

Story by Fada Amakye

The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, marked the 30th anniversary of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), highlighting the program’s transformative journey and its critical role in Ghana’s trade and industrialization agenda. Since its inception in 1995, the GFZA has provided incentives, facilitated investment, and nurtured export-oriented enterprises, transforming businesses into drivers of growth and resilience.

The Free Zones program has attracted foreign direct investment, promoted technology transfer, created employment, and boosted non-traditional exports.

The GFZA has helped transform businesses into drivers of growth and resilience across manufacturing, services, logistics, and agribusiness. Ghana has become a competitive destination for investment, with the GFZA playing a critical role in promoting export-oriented industrialization. The Minister emphasized the need for evolution and transformation, with the Ministry championing the transition from Export Processing Zones to specialized economic zones.

This new model will integrate manufacturing, services, and innovation into globally competitive hubs, benefiting both export and domestic markets. The transition will enable Ghana to attract strategic investment, build stronger domestic linkages, and establish industrial cities that are sustainable, technology-driven, and attractive to investors. The GFZA’s initiatives align with the government’s broader agenda for building a self-reliant economy that is export-driven, technology-enabled, and inclusive.

The program continues to promote industrialization by encouraging value addition and value extension, reducing Ghana’s over-reliance on primary commodities, and positioning the country as a manufacturing hub.

With a strong foundation and commitment to excellence, the GFZA is poised to play an even more significant role in Ghana’s economic development in the years to come.