Conference to attract Nigerian investors to Ghana
Ghana to host Trade Ministers of WTO conference
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 September - A conference to sensitise and equip Nigerian investors with information about business opportunities in Ghana to enable them invest in the country will take place in Abuja on October 27.
The conference under the theme: " Investment Opportunities in Ghana", would be organised by West Africa International, a leading Pan-African magazine, in collaboration with the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce.
Representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Ghana Chamber of Commerce and other bodies are expected to attend the conference.
They will tell their Nigerian counterparts about the generous fiscal incentives open to them in Ghana.
Dr Dee Otibu-Asare, Chief Executive Officer of the Intra-West African Communication Limited, publishers of West Africa International Magazine, told newsmen at a press conference on Thursday that Ghana was singled out as the main focus because of its political stability and investment friendly climate.
He said the conference would aim at providing an excellent platform for businessmen and women, professionals, political leaders and academics to interact and exchange ideas on issues affecting Africa.
He announced that special awards dubbed: "African International Award Of Merit" aimed at promoting professionalism, excellence, proficiency and integrity in enterprise in Africa, would be conferred on African businessmen and women, politicians, and professionals as part of the conference.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 September 2001- The Ministry of Trade and Industry on Thursday launched the World Trade Organization (WTO) and ECOWAS Trade Ministers preparatory conferences slated for next month.
The WTO conference is to provide a forum for the ministers to exchange views and evolve strategies to promote Intra-African trade in the light of increasing importance of trade and trade-related issues in the new inter-dependent and globalised world economy.
The ECOWAS conference is to move the fast track agenda forward and to enable the private sector to discuss trade problems in the sub-region.
Mr Kwadjo Agyepong, Acting Director at the ministry, said at a media briefing in Accra on Thursday that the conference would harmonise African countries' views to be presented at the WTO meeting scheduled for Qatar later in the year.
The Accra conference, scheduled for October 14 to 17, will be attended by, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Senegal, Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire.
Mr Agyepong said the general impression among African countries after the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations (MTN) is that they might have entered into commitments and agreements without adequately appreciating their implications.
Other concerns are that MTN failed to address the concerns of weaker trade positions of developing countries in the global economy especially rules concerning agriculture, which are discriminatory against developing countries.
"These concerns have given rise to fundamental questions regarding the future direction of WTO and the multilateral trading system itself."
Mr Agyepong said the conference would also promote the involvement of the private sector in the activities of WTO and deliberate on negotiations on agriculture and services, industrial market access, trade facilitation, and systemic concerns about WTO's operation.
Other areas are dispute settlement provisions, support for sustainable development, technical assistance and capacity building, transparency in government procurement, and implementation of existing agreements.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com