Page 3 - GMSA MAY 2018

PAGE # 2

contributions towards addressing the issues. One of the established between the GMSA and the Ministry of
key initiatives proposed by the GMSA is the securing of Finance to address the issues raised and the Ministerial
low-cost technologies for primary processing in remote Committee will meet again in June 2018 to evaluate the
areas and the setting up of a modular agro-processing progress made.
facility to process crops whose production can increase
relatively quickly (such as mangoes, pineapple, plantain, The Inter-Ministerial Roundtable is an initiative between
peanuts). A facility of this nature would help create the GMSA and the Minister of Finance which was started
stable guaranteed market for farmers, push increased in June 2017 and through which three Roundtables have
productivity and lowered cost of production, and could been identied, with the rst one focused on the Forestry
be a step towards servicing export markets. and Wood Processing sector.

The meeting agreed that among the immediate Following the Second Roundtable, the Joint Technical
solutions would be to have a greater share of public Working Groups for Forestry and Wood Processing and
procurement to be sourced from local agro-processors Agro-processing met on Thursday, 31st May 2018 at the
once available and of suitable quality and competitive GMSA Boardroom. The Joint Techical Working Groups is
price. Closely linked to this would be the implementation the agreed mechanism to advance and implement
of the Small Business Act requirement of 20% small decisions of the Roundtable and comprises GMSA
business sourcing by Government. members and representatives of Government Ministries,
Agencies and Departments. It is jointly chaired by the
It was agreed that a Joint Technical Team will be GMSA and the Ministry of Finance.

Members of the Joint Technical Working Group - Agro-processing Sector

Members of the Joint Technical Working Group -
Forestry and Woods Products Sector

www.gmsagy.org