Govt obtains US$50 million to expand foreign missions, state-owned properties abroad

The government has obtained a US$50 million credit facility, which is being used to acquire new properties and improve existing state-owned properties abroad.

The funding which is sourced by Société Générale is targeted at expanding the connection between the government of Ghana and its citizens within the diaspora as well as improve bilateral relations between Ghana and its allies.

This was disclosed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey who on Wednesday 18 November 2020, opened three new facilities in Brussels, Berlin, and Geneva Switzerland to the country’s diplomatic missions.

These missions which are beneficiaries of the credit facility according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration are demonstrative of the commitment of the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to addressing the infrastructure needs of Ghanaian Missions abroad.

At a virtual ceremony at the ministry on Wednesday, 18 November 2020, the sector minister opened all three chancery buildings.

In her remarks, Ms. Botchwey explained that the decision to acquire the Chanceries in the capital cities of Belgium, Germany and Switzerland as opposed to renting was informed by a number of important considerations including long-term cost-saving goals and the need to advance Ghana’s interests in the three countries while adding that in the case of the Chancery in Brussels, it was time the government of Belgium replicated the move by Ghana to open a Chancery in Brussels by doing same in Ghana.

“The future of Ghana-Belgium relations should not only be focused on the fact that Belgium is the capital of the European Union but that the two countries should work on forging closer ties and the expansion of cooperation in a number of areas for mutual benefit. The relations should also be informed by the increasingly strategic importance of Ghana to the rest of the world,” she said.

While addressing officials of the Ghanaian mission in Berlin, Ms Botchwey expressed satisfaction at the level of expansion of work done on the mission in Berlin.

Present at the virtual open ceremony was Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Muhammad Habibu Tijani, and Supervising Director Ambassador Sammie Eddico as well as other directors of the ministry.