Italian Ambassador lauds govt in fight against illegal Mining
The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Giovanni Favilli, has lauded the government for the bold steps being taken to eliminate illegal mining activities in the country. “We support the commitment of the Government of Ghana in the fight against illegal mining,” Mr Favilli said.
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He said the initiative would not only restore water quality in Ghana, but also improve the environment to boost food and cash crop productions.
The ambassador gave the commendation at a ceremony to mark his country’s 71st Republic Day celebration in Kumasi last Tuesday.
Republic Day
The Italian Republic Day celebration, which has become an annual affair in Kumasi, was hosted by the Honorary Vice Consul of Italy, Mr Stefano Pamella.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was the guest of honour. Other dignitaries included the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah and his Deputy, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang, and the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi.
Climatic condition
Mr Favilli said the fight against illegal mining would also help improve climatic conditions in Ghana for accelerated development.
“Just a few days ago, in a joint statement with France and Germany, Italy reaffirmed our strongest commitment to swiftly implement a Paris Agreement, including its climate finance goals. We encourage all our partners to speed up actions to combat climate change.
“We will step up efforts to support developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, to achieve their mitigation and adaptation goals," Mr Favilli stated.
The ambassador, however, appealed to Ghana to throw her weight behind Italy as the latter strove to initiate reforms to enlarge the United Nations (UN) Security Council to contain other countries.
“As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Italy is pursuing a reform of an enlarged Security Council, where Africa is better represented, hence the need for Ghana to support Italy to realise her objectives,” he noted.
Mr Favilli said as part of their foreign policy, Italy was committing itself to addressing crisis situations in sub-Saharan Africa, including the prevention of terrorism.
Business environment
Mr Favilli also described as commendable efforts by the government to improve the business environment in Ghana.
According to him, such strides would not only induce Italian businesses and those of other countries to invest in Ghana, but would also support the government in its job creation efforts.
“We encourage, welcome and support the shift of the focus from aid to trade. It is a sign of Ghana's growth, and Italy, with the European Union, supports this path by keeping its markets open, free of duties and quotas through the interim Economic Partnership Agreement,” he stated.
Migration
On migration of youth to Italy and other European countries, Mr Favilli disclosed that over 500,000 migrants, including many West Africans, arrived on Italy's coasts in the last three years.
He expressed concern about the situation and said it was important to give specific attention to the phenomenon of human mobility “so as to orderly and safely manage the current migrant and refugee flows”.
“We need to address the root causes of migration. We want to bring more investment and jobs to Africa. That is why Africa has become a priority for Italy. That is why we have created a domestic Africa Fund, and we are one of the major contributors to the EU Trust Fund,” the ambassador added.
Ghanaians in Italy
Mr Favilli commended the Ghanaian community in Italy for their sense of hard work and discipline, noting that besides many Ghanaian footballers, over 70,000 Ghanaians had also been well integrated into Italy and were contributing massively to the cultural diversity and economy of Italy.
He said the Ghanaian community had contributed to the economy of Ghana over the years. For instance in 2015, an estimated $131 million was remitted to their families and relations in Ghana.
On education, Mr Favilli said over 1,600 Ghanaian students had been issued visas to study in Italy over the last five years.
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“The relationship between Italy and Ghana is strong and vibrant. It is rooted in our long-standing economic, political and cultural connections, our shared values and the deep links between our peoples,” he further stated.
For his part, Mr Pamella also expressed appreciation to Ghanaians for their hospitability and tolerance.