Dr. Yaw Adu Gyamfi, President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), has hosted the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Tsutomu Himeno, at the AGI National Head Office in Accra.
The Ambassador was accompanied by the newly-appointed Ghana Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Frank Okyere, and the First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Ghana, Masamichi Ymashita.
The Japanese Ambassador has been in office for barely three months. He indicated that he paid the courtesy call to the AGI in order to get to know the President, and to express his desire of establishing a collaborative relationship between the embassy and Ghana’s leading industry advocate.
He was particular about the creation of a platform to promote private sector activities in Ghana, that enables Ghanaian business entities to develop mutually beneficial relationships with their Japanese counterparts.
Mr. Himeno noted that Japan and Ghana have enjoyed good relations for several years, which have resulted in activities like the cocoa trade – involving the export of cocoa beans from Ghana to Japan; economic support from Japan to Ghana in multiple areas including Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers scheme operating across the nation; and cultural and people-to-people exchanges spanning several decades.
Dr. Adu Gyamfi, while responding to the remarks made by Mr. Himeno, used the opportunity to welcome him to AGI and also congratulated Mr. Okyere on his appointment as Ghana’s Ambassador-designate to Japan.
Until his appointment, he served the AGI as an executive member of the Tema Branch and also as Chairman of the Chemical Sector.
The AGI president stated that he expects the Ambassador to Japan to place the promotion of Ghanaian businesses at the core of his Ambassadorial functions.
He stressed that: “As we tout the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ initiative as a means to encourage productivity and wealth-creation, it is important to draw experiences from Japan because of its advancement in the fields of technology and industrialisation”.
He also made known the tremendous benefit he as an entrepreneur derived from the Japanese continuous improvement concept called Kaizen. He was also of the opinion that industrialization is the economic drawbridge that will keep Ghana afloat and from unemployment and economic hardship; therefore, it is imperative that the Association is given the needed support to help the nation realise its dream of industrialisation.
Mr. Okyere, the Ghana Ambassador-designate, also indicated that the current government’s orientation is drifted toward industrialisation and other business-enhancing packages like the Stimulus Fund, One District, One Factory concept, and establishment of industrial parks among others.
Other AGI executives present at the meeting included Mr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke, Vice-President of the Association of Ghana Industries (SMEs); Mr. Seth Twum-Akwaboah, the CEO of AGI; and Mr. Stephen Djaba, Coordinator, International Relations Committee for the Association of Ghana Industries.
