Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey with Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in the centre
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has noted that Ghana possesses a significant potential that could bridge the gap between the Euro-African trades and investment market.
According to the Minister, the decision by the African Union (AU) to host the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Ghana has poised government to design and implement effective strategies and policies to support the rapid and inclusive growth of the economy.
Speaking at the Ghana-EU political dialogue on Wednesday, 29 January 2020 in Accra on the theme: “Ghana and EU: Partners for the Future”; Botchwey stated that as host of the AfCFTA Secretariat the country is scheduled to implement the interim EPA.
Once this is done, the minister believes "Ghana could serve as the bridge between the African continent and the EU if the appropriate engagements are made".
The foreign minister also indicated that the dialogue is taking place at a time that the government has embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at consolidating the macroeconomic environment while transforming the economy.
This she says is being done through flagship programmes such as the 'One District One Factory', 'One Village One Dam', 'Free Senior High School Education', Planting for Food and Jobs' and the ‘Formalisation of the Economy through Digitalisation'.
These initiatives according to Mrs Botchwey are all geared towards creating jobs and economic opportunities for the youth in particular, while transforming the economy from over-reliance on aid to trade.
