Trade Houses To Be Established

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku has opened a Ghana Trade House at Port Louis in Mauritius to serve as the focal point for Ghana's intensified trade and investment efforts in that country.

A statement by the Ministry in Accra said the ceremony formed part of the Minister's visit to Mauritius where he attended the AGOA Forum during which he co-chaired a session on financing Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) with the US Under-Secretary of Treasury, Mr John Taylor.

Mr Apraku said various discussions are on-going to open other Trade Houses in Malaysia and Singapore. He added that more than a dozen Mauritian, Indian and Spanish firms are planning to visit Ghana to follow up discussions held at the forum with the view to setting up businesses in Ghana.

He announced that, various companies, including, the Berlin Textiles would start the production of T-shirts and jeans in the country from March this year. He said another company, Speedway Company, is near completion of negotiations to build a Garment and Textiles Village at Tema under the Presidents Special Initiative. Dr Apraku said, Fuskhia, a Mauritius firm has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry to develop a sugar plantation and refinery.

Fuskhia is also at an advanced stage of negotiations with the State Housing Corporation to construct 20,000 housing units. The US Under-Secretary, Mr Taylor on the request of Dr Apraku said Ghana would be selected as the pilot country for an IFC-SME's financing project.