Govt, business delegations in India to woo investors
Indigenous Ghanaian enterprises have intensified their efforts to form partnerships with international counterparts with the aim of wooing foreign investors into various sectors of the country.
It is also to make the foreign partners to build confidence in the economy and help attract foreign direct investments in the economy.
In pursuit of that objective, a joint Ghana government and business community delegation is in India to attend the 11th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Exim Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership, which opened on Monday in the capital, New Delhi.
The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, is leading the government delegation to the conclave, which has Ghana as the guest country, while the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr James Asare-Adjei, is the leader of the business delegation.
Among the delegation are a Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Samuel Adusei, and a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Hannah Louisa Bissiw.
Bright prospects
Speaking to the Daily Graphic ahead of the event, Mr Amissah-Arthur said since he participated in the last conclave in 2014, a number of Indian investors had visited Ghana to explore investment opportunities.
He said this year’s conclave offered yet another opportunity to Ghana to seal whatever deals it would reach with potential investors, underscoring that “our doors are open to the rest of the world for investments”.
The Vice-President will, among other functions, engaged the Indian business community to make a case for Ghana.
Mr Asare-Adjei, who had earlier engaged Mr Amissah-Arthur, underscored the need for small Ghanaian businesses to form partnerships with other local enterprises to remain viable in the “turbulent business environment”.
Participating countries
The Indian government has already received confirmations from 27 other African countries to participate in the summit. They include South Africa, Nigeria, DR Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Mauritius, Mozambique, Kenya, Mali, Sudan, Somalia and Uganda.
The first CII-EXIM Bank Conclave was held in 2005, which has emerged as the pioneer event in building partnerships and enhancing the economic engagement between Africa and India.
The increasing participation of African states in the CII has given shape to policy dialogues of the Indian government, the EXIM Bank and the CII whose membership has immensely benefited from that platform.
Purpose
The essence of the conclave has been to encourage Indian exporters to assess the African countries and increase their presence in the region.