AGI, Indian High Commission to Ghana hold Ghana-India Business Summit
AGI, Indian High Commission to Ghana hold Ghana-India Business Summit
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), in conjunction with the Indian High Commission to Ghana held the Ghana-Indian Business Summit on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra.
The event was held under the theme “Strengthening India-Ghana Business Relations, Post COVID”.
Addressing the gathering, AGI President, Dr. Humphrey Kwesi Ayim Darke, advocated for partnerships in technical cooperation, particularly in the area of agribusiness, in terms of value addition and processing.
He indicated that agriculture is one area which requires serious intervention for economic transformation.
The AGI President also expressed, with subtle vehemence, the need to place export tariff on the primary raw agriculture products (non cash crops) to encourage processing, job creation, value addition, domestic tax generation and structural transformation of the economy, and food security for the nation.
The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, HE Sugandh Rajaram, on his part, recounted the strong historical relationship between India and Ghanaian businesses.
Dr Humphrey Kwesi Ayim Darke, advocated for partnerships in technical cooperation, particularly in the area of agribusiness, in terms of value addition and processing.
The AGI president expressed with subtle vehemence the need to place an export tariff on the primary raw agriculture products (non-cash crops) to encourage processing, job creation, value addition, domestic tax generation and structural transformation of the economy And food security for the nation.
The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, HE Sugandh Rajaram, on his part, recounted the strong historical relationship between India and Ghanaian businesses. He touted Ghana as a key destination for Indian investors.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi stated that H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, vision is to transform the economy from one that exports basic commodities like cocoa, timber, gold, and crude oil, to one driven by value-added industrial export and technological innovation. Whereas Ghana’s major export to India include these commodities, India’s export to Ghana includes Pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery, ethyl alcohol etc which are value-added products, with Gold accounting for nearly 80% of the import.
Based on the Government’s agenda, one key pillar of the Industrial Transformation Agenda is the One District One Factory (1D1F) which seeks to transform the industrial landscape of the country several globally competitive factories and enterprises have sprung up across the towns and districts of the country since its inception in 2017. So far 278 companies are at the various stages of implementation. There are a total number of 114 projects in the Agro-processing sector, Manufacturing is 111, while Livestock, Poultry & Aquaculture is 32 and 21 cover other industrial activities.
It had in attendance dignitaries including Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi, Deputy Minister for Trade & Industry, Hon. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, the CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Mr. Mike Ocquaye Jnr., representatives from GIPC, Ghanaian and Indian businesses.