Aliu
calls for Moroccan investment in Ghana's fisheries
Council
to hold forum with Trade Attaches
Aliu
calls for Moroccan investment in Ghana's fisheries
Beatrice Akua
Asamani, GNA Correspondent, Rabat
Rabat (Morocco) 16
December 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama has urged Morocco, which has a
thriving fishing industry, to help Ghana develop that sector in the spirit of
South-South cooperation and for the mutual benefit of both countries.
He said this when the
Moroccan Minister Responsible for Fisheries, Mr Jayeb Rhafes, called on him in
the Moroccan capital, Rabat, to hold bilateral discussions on strengthening
relations between the two countries.
The Vice President
attended the just-ended Global Forum on Reinventing the Role of Government, in
Marrakech. Vice President Mahama said with assistance in training and
investment from the private sector from Morocco, the fishing industry could be
developed to serve as a big export market for processed fish in the West Africa
sub-region.
He said favourable
conditions exist in the Ghana Free Zones for developing the industry, which
must be utilised. Vice President Mahama also asked Morocco to share her
experience on checking illegal fishing activities so that Ghana could protect her
territorial waters.
"The fisheries
sector is very crucial to our socio-economic development and with what we have
seen here, we know that we can form the requisite partnerships to push the
sector," he said.
The Vice President,
who has already held discussions with Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou,
said partnerships would also be developed in the tourism, mining, aviation,
textiles and other sectors for the benefit of the two countries.
A Joint Permanent
Commission for Economic Cooperation is being established to facilitate the
process, while the chambers of commerce are in discussions. Mr Rhafes said his
country is eager to reach out to Ghana, which Morocco considers a strategic
partner in the sub-region for fruitful relations.
He said a private-sector
delegation would soon visit Ghana to explore opportunities in the fisheries
sector and the governments of the two countries would facilitate trade,
business and other co-operation.
The Vice President
also met Ghanaian students in Morocco and urged tem to excel in their academic
fields and market Ghana to their counterparts. The students are studying
subjects like medicine, pharmacy, civil engineering, business administration
and computer science.
At the meeting held
in the Ghana Embassy, Vice President Mahama said as pioneers who had receive
scholarships from the Moroccan government, their performance would determine
whether more opportunities should be extended to Ghana.
"You are the
pacesetters. Let your studies be your business and be worthy ambassadors and
lift the flag of Ghana very high," he said. The Deputy Foreign Minister,
Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, urged them to keep abreast with events in Ghana
through the Internet and visits to the Ghana Mission to be able to contribute
meaningfully to their country's growth.
The Moroccan
government has an annual award of 22 scholarships to Ghanaian students. Mr
Richard Anane, a spokesperson for the group, assured the vice president and the
delegation that they would set high standards and make Ghana proud.
GRi…/
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Council
to hold forum with Trade Attaches
Accra (Greater Accra)
16 December 2002- The Ghana Export Promotion Council on Sunday announced that
it would hold a one-day forum with trade attaches of selected foreign missions
as part of the market development activities of the Non-Traditional Export
(NTE) sector.
A statement issued in
Accra said the forum to be attended by the general export community would be
addressed by trade officers in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy,
Nigeria and Mali, who collectively constitute over 60 per cent of the NTE
market.
The statement said
Mali and Nigeria are the prime targets for the president's Special Initiative
on Salt. It said the objective of the forum is to update exporters on the
latest trade practices and requirements in order to facilitate access to
markets to enable Ghana to achieve its target of 5000 million dollars for 2002,
up from 458 million dollars in 2001.
GRi…/
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