President Akufo-Addo welcomes Maltese companies in Ghana

General News of Thursday, March 28, 2019

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

2019-03-28

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo urged Maltese companies to take advantage of the new momentum given to relations between Ghana and Malta and to invest in Ghana.

Addressing a Ghana-Malta Business Forum yesterday in Valletta, President Akufo-Addo said: "Ghana is ready to do business and I am pleased that Maltese companies have already invested 19 millions of dollars in our country. "

He said at the meeting that there were several projects in Ghana, in the fields of water, housing, transportation, industry, manufacturing, water and sanitation. agriculture, oil and gas, mining our mineral wealth in bauxite, iron ore and gold, which were structured to attract investment and private sector financing.

Referring to his government's accomplishments over the last two years, President Akufo-Addo said his government had spent the last two years putting in place measures to improve the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy, which had has experienced considerable disarray in recent years. resort to an IMF rescue program.

"We have been quite successful in trying to grow the Ghanaian economy by ensuring that our economy goes from 3.6% in 2016, its lowest level in two decades, to 8.5% in 2017, our first year of office, at 6% last. and is expected to grow by 7.9% in 2019, making it one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, "he said.

The President added: "We have also successfully completed and abandoned the IMF program and decided that with disciplined management of our public finances, we would no longer resort to a bailout program."

In addition, the government, he said, has put in place measures that are driving Ghana and its economy into the new digital age, formalizing the Ghanaian economy, reducing the cost of business transactions and facilitating business. 39, interaction between companies and their customers, especially in the era of technology. , where connectivity through digital services was an important element of competitiveness.

"Growing investor confidence has brought global automakers such as Volkswagen, Sinotruck, Nissan, Renault and Suzuki; major oil companies such as Aker Energy of Norway and ExxonMobil of the United States of America; and technology giant Google are working on establishing bases in Ghana, "said President Akufo-Addo.

The President told the Maltese companies present at the meeting that they could choose to invest in Ghana through the Ghana Investment Promotion Center or to set up a business in the zone. frank.

Regardless of the location of the investment, President Akufo-Addo explained that the government had put in place a number of incentives for investors, depending on the nature of the activity or the location of the investment. investment, all designed to contribute to the success of investments.

The president badured that "Ghana is a country governed by law, where the separation of powers is real. We have an independent judiciary, which ensures responsible governance, and you can rest badured that your investments will be protected and secure. "

He hoped that the business forum would provide Maltese investors with the environment necessary for business networking, which would help advance economic relations between Ghana and Malta.