Focus on foreign investments, diaspora – GBSH boss to Akufo-Addo

The Group Executive Chairman of GBSH Consult Group Worldwide, Professor Ambassador Tal Edgars, has advised the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to focus on foreign institutional investments and non-resident Ghanaian investments as it focuses on strategies to achieve the vision of a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.

The Head of Government Affairs of NCPC (Canada) said Ghanaians in the diaspora reinvesting back into the country will help tremendously in achieving the vision.

The honorary Chancellor to The International Council for Leadership, Governance, Entrepreneurship, Management (ICLGEM-Switzerland), called on government to also focus on developing skills of the local people so that when the investors come into the country about 90% of Ghanaians can participate in the various ventures.

Prof Edgars who is the key speaker for the much touted Otumfuo Investor's Forum, emphasized on the need for government to ensure that it creates an investment climate that allows local people to be in charge of manufacturing, industry and exports.

"'Ghana Beyond Aid’ is trying to refocus the attention into having small businesses to be part of the epicenter of the economy and that is going to be important to drawing a little bit much more of investors,” he said as he addressed a press conference ahead of the World-Meets-In-Ghana Investors Forum and Executive Dinner scheduled for Saturday, 4 May 2019 as part of Otumfuo's 20th anniversary celebration.

He continued: “Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) alone cannot be an option. We want to look at foreign institutional investment, non-resident Ghanaian investment, Ghanaians in the diaspora reinvesting back into the country and so many other more than we will be discussing”.

The forum will bring hundreds of foreign and local investors to Kumasi to deliberate on how best they can invest in the country and H.E Prof. Dr Ambassador Tal Edgars will be delivering the keynote address at the forum.

Professor Edgars, further called on Ghana to sell its brands and best stories to the world instead of social issues like unemployment, joblessness and health risks affecting the nation.

Professor Edgar, who is also a member of the Global Brand Advisory Council on the World Brand Congress (UAE), noted that countries like Dubai, China among others have developed because they concentrated on selling their brand to the world.

He said Ghana has a rich culture and many other investment opportunities that investors can utilise.