Ghana must discuss trade not aid with Boris Johnson – economist

An economist Courage Kinsley Martey says government should discuss opportunities for creating trade avenues with visiting Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, rather than soliciting for aid.

“What we need currently should be, more of trade and less of aid, I believe that when he arrives, the two parties must discuss how to make trade in great volumes rather than soliciting for aid which comes with conditions which are sometimes not favorable to our economy,” he emphasized.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson would be in Ghana on February 15, 2017 to meet President Nana Akufo-Addo for bilateral talks. Ghana is the UK’s fourth largest export market in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a total of £1billion. The foreign secretary is expected to visit the fruit processing company Blue Skies, meet business leaders and young entrepreneurs supported by the Department for International Development’s ENGINE project.

Courage Martey therefore stated that Ghana should be strategic in the discussions and leverage on the move by the UK to leave the EU and attract more investors into the country “The two countries have new leaderships on both sides and I think Ghana should leverage on that to create new trade avenues. We must strike more business deals and the advantage that comes with the UK exiting the EU” he added.