The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) has held a Regional Sensitisation Tour at Takoradi on the theme: ‘Grow in Ghana, Grow with Ghana’.
Attended by business associations, entrepreneurs, Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts Assemblies (MMDAs), it is designed to meet the local content requirements of the centre’s investment promotion mandate.
Also, it is to provide an ideal platform for identification and compilation of domestic data on various investment projects and opportunities in various parts of the country for presentation to the investor community to foster partnerships and financing.
Director of Investor Services, Edward Ashon Lartey, said: “GIPC is here to educate stakeholders on the functions of the centre, and sensitise them about the untapped economic potential and opportunities existing in the region, as well as obtain first-hand information from SMEs on issues that inhibit their growth, and undertake on-the-spot analysis of companies for registration, among others”.
He stated that the first phase of the tour is planned to take place in nine out of the 16 regions; namely, Savannah, Northern, Upper West, Upper East, North East, Western North, Ashanti, Central and Western.
The Nationwide Sensitisation Tour is a GIPC initiative, purposed to augment other undertakings in encouraging investors to ‘Grow in Ghana’ and ‘Grow with Ghana’.
Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said there is need for GIPC and EXIM Bank to educate the business community on the investment opportunities in the region.
He stated that GIPCs investment plans for the region should be able to identify agriculture, agric business, agro processing, tourism, infrastructure, services, and that these are the key areas that needs to be identified to provide jobs for the people.
“Local businesses and women are very important since their activities provide revenue and wealth for the MMDAs and the country at large,” he said.
He pointed out that over the years, investment in the region has been overwhelming and densely concentrated, and called on investors across the world to invest in the region.
He advised young people to develop attractive business plans in order to partner government or entice the private sector to bring the needed development to the region.
“The Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) is in a position to support businesses you bring to the region to grow. We want to make a passionate appeal to GIPC and Exim Bank to increase its investment in the region, which is currently low – and so something should be done about it,” he said.
He encouraged the MMDAs to identify development projects which can be comfortably marketed by GIPC to enhance the overall development of their respective districts and the region.
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, commended GIPC for the sensitisation tour.
He noted that the region has a lot of resources and tourism potential, and that investing in the region is important for the growth of the economy.
