We’re are ready to support you – Awal to investors

The minister for business development, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, has urged the investor community in Ghana to take full advantage of government’s pro-business culture, to grow their businesses and help develop the Ghanaian economy.

He assured them of government’s unflinching commitment to the promotion and protection of their investments.

The Minister made the remarks last Friday when he paid a visit to the offices of Horizons, a Kenyan company that provides serviced office space for other enterprises to focus and grow their businesses.

The interaction between Mr Awal, management of Horizons and prospective investors from both Ghana and Kenya was also to whip up interest in this year’s Kenya Trade Expo Ghana in November.

The Expo is set to pool both Kenyan and Ghanaian businessmen with the aim of deepening the existing investment and trade ties between the two countries.

'The government of Ghana is committed to creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive; this is due to the fact government sees the private sector as the driver of growth and development,' Mr Awal stated.

Referring to government’s move to sanitise the business environment through the stabilisation of local currency, removal and reduction of some taxes, the Minister further said 'Ghana would do everything to ensure that your businesses survive and are adequately protected.'

Co-founder of the Kenya Trade Expo, Mrs Leah Nduati, noted that the Kenyan private sector was eager to interact with their counterparts in Ghana 'with the aim of achieving mutually beneficial partnerships and joint ventures.'

She was delighted that the government of Ghana had thrown its weight behind the initiative with the involvement of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Business Development Ministry.

Mrs Leah urged corporate bodies who were part of the interaction to take full advantage of the trade expo, pointing out that the initiative was born out of a need to let the private sector take the lead in championing intra-Africa trade.

'Take advantage of the enabling platform we are creating; It is our belief that when the private sector acts in tandem with political will, we will be able to break the barriers hindering intra-Africa trade,' she appealed.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr Carl Nelson, maintained that companies that specialize in the provision of offices space as well as recruitment agencies are essential to the business community 'as they enable new companies to set up their offices quickly and efficiently.'

Briefing the gathering on the operations of the GIPC, Mr Nelson said “as an investment promotion agency, we market the various investment opportunities available in Ghana to existing and prospective investors.'

The Centre, he added, offers investor aftercare services to aid companies who invest in Ghana to roll out their various projects and undertakes research into investment trends to enable it to target the required types of investors which 'will aid the development of the economy in Ghana'.

Mr Nelson assured investors that his outfit will continue to play its advocacy role in liaising between governments and the business community and provide inputs for policies that will improve the business environment and ensure that business partnerships thrive successfully to the benefit of both the investor and the nation as a whole.