Mr Gunnar Holm (left), Norwegian Ambassador with Ken Ofori Atta (right), Finance Minister, signing an MoU as President Akufo-Addo and Erna Solberg (left), look on. Picture: SAMUEL TEI ADANO

Norwegian Premier hails Ghana

Donald Ato Dapatem Jun - 03 - 2019 , 11:05 2 minutes read

The Norwegian Prime Minister (PM), Ms Erna Solberg, has hailed Ghana for the bold steps the country is taking to become a self-reliant nation.

For instance, she said the government’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda was a laudable initiative she cherished.

The PM added that the initiative was an important step Ghana had taken and urged the government to exploit the country’s growth potential and work towards its realisation.

Ms Solberg, who is the first Norwegian PM to step foot on the soil of Ghana, was addressing the media in Accra yesterday after a closed-door meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House.

Madam Solberg and President Akufo-Addo are co-Chairs of the United Nations Secretary General Eminent Group of Advocates for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ghana’s Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, and his Norwegian counterpart signed and exchanged notes on bilateral cooperation at the meeting.

Significance

Explaining the agreements, Ms Solberg said it involved the sharing of experiences and technical know-how, including supporting Ghana to protect the fisheries sector.

She noted that over-fishing, plastic pollution and climate change were major problems that the two countries could work together and address to ensure that fishermen continued to earn their living.

The PM further stated that Norwegian companies had shown interest in doing business in Ghana due to the conducive policies Ghana had put in place over the years.

She said predictability and transparency were key in attracting people to invest their resources in any country.She also mentioned the oil and gas sectors where she said Norway could share its experiences with Ghana to ensure that the returns on Ghana’s oil actually benefited the people.

“We often say that natural resources can be a curse for countries because they have the possibility of creating differences in society,” the PM added.

Commendation

On SDGs, Ms Solberg commended Ghana for incorporating the SDGs into its national development agenda and also working systematically to realise the goals, stressing that “you are an example of why a country uses its resources to benefit the whole nation and not leaving anyone behind.”