Romania Seeks Ghanaian Partnerships

MIRCEA BONCU, Head of Mission at the Romania Embassy in Accra, has indicated his country�s readiness to cooperate with businesses in Ghana�s private sector in areas such as oil and gas industry, road construction and also transportation. According to him, Romanian companies were looking forward to forming joint ventures with Ghanaian companies, particularly in infrastructure and feeder road construction. Speaking at a stakeholders� meeting organised by International Business Event Management (IBEM) Ghana recently in Accra, the Head of Mission said companies in his country were also interested in investing in agriculture, especially in vegetable production, food crops, poultry, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The meeting was also meant to prepare prospective participants on an impending business conference to be organised by IBEM from March 29 - 31, this year, in Accra. It is themed: �IGB-Ghana 2010 Conference� and expected to attract investors and manufacturers from Europe, the United Kingdom, United States and other parts of Africa. According to Mr Boncu, �Romania now manufactures tractors of varied capacities from 60 to 100 horse power�. Mr Boncu further beckoned interested Ghanaian companies to contact the Romanian Embassy for more education on issues including understanding the country�s tax and insurance laws to secure businesses. Kelvin Fiifi Ampah, Chief Executive Officer of IBEM, Ghana, said the failure of a lot of foreign companies and investors to succeed in Ghana was traceable to their inability to network and understand the Ghanaian business climate and operations, particularly of the securities and regulatory bodies. �IGB-Ghana 2010 Conference would therefore provide the right opportunity for investors, businesses, and regulatory bodies to brainstorm and clearly understand the challenges and opportunities open to them so that they can make informed decisions.� Mr Ampah additionally stressed the need for companies and event organisers to modify the packaging of their business information in order to attract more sponsorship. Participants at the forum expressed the need for the country to reduce the high cost of doing business, review its support system and ensure proper maintenance as well as the provision of accurate information to investors. Representatives of organisations such as the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, Registrar General�s Department, Value Added Tax (VAT) Services, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Shippers Authority and the private sector complained of a myriad of factors militating against doing and growing business in Ghana.