President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the South African business community to take advantage of the growing business-friendly climate in Ghana and invest in the country.
Describing the role of the private sector as crucial, he said the government had set about implementing measures needed to reduce the cost of doing business and improving the business environment since it assumed the reigns of power 17 months ago.
A statement issued by the Communications Directorate of the Jubilee House said President Akufo-Addo made the call when he addressed the Ghana-South Africa Business Forum in Pretoria, as part of his state visit to South Africa last Thursday.
President Akufo-Addo’s state visit is the first by a President since President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa took over power in that country in February this year.
The summit was on the theme:“Advancing industrialisation through trade and investment.”
Measures
According to the statement, the President indicated that those measures had resulted in the growing stability of the country’s macroeconomy and the cedi, single-digit inflation, and an abolition of nuisance taxes aimed at shifting the focus of the economy from taxation to production.
President Akufo-Addo also told the gathering that his government had implemented other specific measures, including the introduction of an ebusiness registration system, a paperless port clearance system, a digital addressing system, a mobile interoperability system and a national identification card system, to formalise the Ghanaian economy, reduce the cost of doing business and facilitate interaction between businesses and clients.
The President also outlined the government’s flagship programmes, such as the Onedistrict, One-factory, Onevillage, One-dam, Planting for Food and Jobs, development of renewable energy and information and communication technology (ICT) growth, as areas of opportunities for investment.
South African desk
To facilitate and expedite South African investments in the Ghanaian economy, the statement said President Akufo-Addo told the South African business community that the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) had established a dedicated South African desk at the centre.
On infrastructure, the statement quoted the President as saying, with private sector participation, Ghana could develop a modern railway network, with strong production centre linkages and with the potential to connect the country to Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo, its closest neighbours.
President Akufo-Addo stated that a strategic partnership between Ghana and South Africa was of utmost importance, as it would empower the business communities of the two countries, as well as enhance the trade and investment relations between them.
“There are several projects in roads, water transport, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, petroleum and gas, renewable energy, the exploitation of our mineral wealth of bauxite, iron ore and gold and the ICT sector, among others, which are being structured to attract private sector financing. We believe that this is an area where South Africa technology and expertise would be very welcome,” the statement quoted him to have said.
Foreign Direct Investment
The President, the statement said, stressed that Ghana was keen on attracting foreign direct investments to exploit the country’s great potential on mutually satisfactory terms.
It added that President Akufo-Addo expressed the hope that the Ghana- South Africa Business Forum would help facilitate partnerships between Ghanaian and South African companies and create the common platform that generated ideas and nurtured them into success.
Source: Graphic.com
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Patriotic citizen of Gh. You’ll behaving like you live in the outer space. Country broke or not we’ll Dey inside. Soon no one will waste his time to vote for any of you. Cause your message is the say ‘ you and your party folks.
Don't believe anything Nana Addo tells you about investment in Ghana ; they will steal your money and misguide you because Nana Addo is politician ;ALL POLITICIANS LIARS ; STILLERS AND MISGUIDERS; NEEVER GO INVEST IN GHANA THEY WILL STEAL YOUR INVESTMENT ;DON"T TAKE THE RISK WIT YOUR CASH .
Our leaders preach what they don't practice. Ghanaian politicians don't invest in the country they want others to invest in. Who will build the country for us. You can't build a house and ask someone to spend his or her money to decorate and furnish it for you. Lets build the country ourselves so that we can own it.
Is it the high taxes or the harassment entrepreneurs face at the hands of SSNIT? Or it's the bureaucracy and the corruption in the public service? Or the incompetence of the civil service? Mr. President, a business-friendly environment is not in words, it is in deeds, it is not in dolling out a one-off cash to an individual rookie entrepreneur. It is in orienting government workers not to harass entrepreneurs. There are some very clean entrepreneurs who are working hard and clean to make themselves better and to employ people and pay the right taxes. Those folks need a pat on the back and not the sham treatment and demand for bribes they are subjected to by civil servants. Look into that Mr. President. And PS: This is a constructive criticism of our system from an individual who sympathizes with your party. This goes beyond partisanship.
What hypocrisy!!!! When you take kickbacks from private investors, what else do you expect.