It has in the last two months been a series of courtesy visits, forums and public statements from various countries.
From the visit of the Singaporean and United Kingdom’s Trade Ministers, a delegation of Turkish investors, etc., Ghana has enjoyed enormous goodwill of governments and global business players alike.
More prominently, the focus of these goodwill has been on the President Nana Akufo Addo’s economic transformation agenda and particularly, the creation of jobs through industrialization captured in its ambitious “one-district-one-factory†initiative.
The latest on this trend is the Ghana-South Africa Business Chamber meeting which had Ghana’s Deputy Trade Minister, Mr. Robert Ankomah, the President of the chamber in the country – Mr. Ashley Rix as well as members of South Africa’s business community present.
Speaking to the audience, the Deputy Trade Minster said the current government’s top priority is job creation.
He asserted that critical to achieving that goal as well as the need for Ghana to take its place as a vibrant economic leader in Africa and the world, is the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
He reasserted some of the government’s plans for business in the economy such as: the proposed stimulus package, the US$50 million allocation for private sector initiatives in the 2017 budget, the building of an industrial park that is aimed at eliminating the need for leasing or bothering about electric and other utility bills for start-ups, among others.
In response, President of the chamber and his associate from the South African High Commission both noted that their government seeks to increase bilateral trade relations between both countries.
Mr. Ashley noted the fact that regardless of what they past experiences has been, the focus now is the future.
Despite the effects of the recent resurgence of Xenophobic violence at some parts of Johannesburg and the country’s capital – Pretoria on the attitude of Ghanaian and other African nationals towards the Rainbow nation’s businesses, South Africa still boast of a significant presence in the Ghana’s economy with the likes of MTN alone holding over 46% market share in the telecommunication industry according December 2016 industry report.
However, there is no doubt about the potential of improved trade or economic relations between the two countries and that such forums as that hosted by the business chamber does a great deal in boosting or realizing such potential.