Rising Investor Interest In Ghana

The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre sucessfully organised a four nation investment promotion mission during the month of September 2009. 

The mission divided into various legs by the different countries visited was led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre, Mr. George Aboagye as part of efforts to revamp the investment intrest in Ghana.
 
The programmes which were held in China, Singapore, UK and USA allowed for GIPC to begin to tie into the Chief Executive’s vision to develop GIPC as a proactive and catalytic Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) with the capacity to attract inward investment as well as expand domestic investment for the creation of jobs, upgrading of skills, enhancement of infrastructure and development of the economy. 

In China, the Centre participated in the International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen. The Ghana delegation was made up of staff from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Ghana Free Zones Board and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Response from the fair showed that China is eager to increase investment in the Ghanaian economy.

The International Enterprise Seminar in Singapore, held on 16th September 2009 was part of a series of seminars that was aimed at projecting Ghana’s political stability and how it has facilitated economic growth over the last 5 years. Mr. George Aboagye in his presentation highlighted areas like oil and gas, infrastructure and tourism as hotspots for investment into Ghana. 

During the UK leg of the mission, the GIPC participated in the Oil and Gas Exhibition in Aberdeen, and also addressed members of the Business Council for Africa (West and Southern) at the ‘Doing Business in Ghana: Ghana’s Investment Potential’ forum held at the Ghana High Commission London.


The Centre was also a major participant at the Ghana Business and Investment Exhibition held in the Berne Grants Art Centre London and targeted at Ghanaians in UK.

A general overview of the above programme saw a great interest in mother Ghana by most Ghanaians living in the UK. Many, eager to return home to invest were encouraged by information on structures being provided and being put in place by the Centre to facilitate their investment. Mr. Aboagye was also able to address the concerns and questions raised by Ghanaians in UK during an interview with the diasporian radio station, Rainbow Radio.

The Centre attended the 2009 US-Africa Business Summit, USA, 29th September – 1st October 2009, which was noted by many attendants to be the first strong representation of Ghana at the summit over the years. Much interest had been previously generated by the Obama visit to Ghana but not much information thereafter thus the excitement in the Centre’s involvement. 

GIPC was able to use the opportunity in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana, to exhibit, provide information and answer first hand questions by potential investors attending the programme.
The Chief Executive Mr. Aboagye along with Mr. Simon Madjie, a representitive of the American Chamber of Commerce also met with senior representitives of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington to discuss opportunitiess, Ghana’s open markets and future collaborations. 

During a brief stopover in New York, Mr. Aboagye was invited to present on key investment opportunities during a luncheon organised by Bank of America Merrill and Fidelity Bank in honour of His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills.
As GIPC drives to increase foreign direct investment, it is also urging and supporting more Ghanaians at home and in the diaspora to invest in Ghana through fully owned Ghanaian enterprises, foreign affiliates, subsidiaries, associates, branches and joint ventures.