Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday appealed to leaders to create a congenial atmosphere that would attract international investors into their countries.
The atmosphere, he said, they could create by coming out with laudable, convincing and attractive investment ideas that would sustain the flourishing and vibrancy of their economies for decades.
Vice President Mahama made this appeal when he inaugurated a two-day African Investment Forum 2012 under the theme: “Partnering with ECOWAS to Accelerate Investment in the Sub-Region” in Accra.
The forum would among other issues discuss areas of strengths and weaknesses and promote public-private partnership among the African countries and other continents in the areas of investment and trade.
It was sponsored by Access Bank, UniBank and MSF Construction and supported by Anglogold Ashanti African Mining Services, Commercial Bank and MTN.
The two-day programme would discuss “Enhancing Regional Trade and Investment, Public-Private partnership for infrastructure development, AgriBusiness, Manufacturing and Consumer Goods, Energy, power transmission, oil and gas, Banking and access to finance among others.”
Vice President Mahama said the image of Africa was gradually transforming positively because of growing investments in the continent and called on leaders to initiate moves that would stabilize their economies and make them self-reliant.
He gave assurance to all investors interested in doing business in Ghana that the country would remain stable and more peaceful after the December polls adding “There is no need adopting wait and see attitude in investment in Ghana as the economy will remain stable.”
The Vice President said West Africa had a comparative advantage in agriculture and therefore concentrating on it could make them the food basket of the world in the years to come.
Sir Alan Collins, Director General of Commonwealth Business Council, said convening of the forum was appropriate for them to come out with workable solutions to some of the challenges of African Development.
He said ECOWAS and Ghana for that matter had numerous advantages in respect of their indulgence in good and stable governments that could set the tone for creating conducive environment for trade and investment.
Mr Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, said although there had been growing interest in investing in Africa, the leaders were yet to take full advantage of the offer to leverage their development.**
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