VEEP meets with German Business Delegation

Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama said on Wednesday that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) remained focussed in nurturing small and medium-sized entrepreneurs to boost the national drive for job creation.

He said the donor community had shown enormous commitment towards this goal and singled out the lack of capacity and technological know-how by local entrepreneurs as an obstacle.

Vice President Mahama was speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the Capacity Building International (INWENT) of Germany, at the Castle, Osu in Accra.

The group comprising mainly contractors are in the country to meet with the National Association of Contractors to explore business opportunities.

Vice President Mahama said one area where donor support had remained inelastic was the road sector, adding that funding for the projects was available although the capacity to execute these projects remained largely non-existent.

He proposed the marriage between INWENT and contractors in Ghana to promote effective partnership to facilitate technology transfer and capacity development from Germany to Ghana. Vice President Mahama said although Ghana had abundant granite to turn into chippings for road projects lack of simple equipment to establish stone quarries to mine the granite remained one of the obstacles for road construction.

Dr Robert Anane, Minister of Roads, said INWENT, by the German Federal Government in 2002 was in Ghana to complement the major role the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, had played in the road sector. "INWENT will also promote joint ventures and other linkages," he said.

Mr Hans Maeunchen, Leader of the delegation, expressed the hope that their visit would lead to the winning of contracts in Ghana and fruitful collaboration.