Leadership of the Business and Financial Times (B&FT), Africa’s leading provider of business information, has paid a courtesy call on the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) in a strategic move to deepen collaboration between the media organisation and the public sector institutions.
Led by its board chair, Dr. Edith Dankwa, the B&FT team also included the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Godwin Acquaye, and Managing Editor, William Selassy Adjadogo.
In attendance from the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) were Ambassador Mike Oquaye Jnr., CEO; Jesse Agyepong, Director of Corporate Affairs, PR, Marketing and Business Development; Lawrence Osei Boateng, Technical Advisor to CEO; Roberta Wallace Boakye, Assistant Manager, Business Development and Research; and Gifty Ofosua Asare, Senior Officer, PR and Corporate Affairs.
Board Chair Dr. Edith Dankwa noted that partnerships between the B&FT and GFZA are strategic in providing the needed platform for local investors to be seen on the international stage. She noted that the visit forms part of the B&FT’s mandate to forge synergies with Ghana’s business community through effective communication.
“As the leading business information provider in Ghana and Africa, we are always looking at having stronger partnerships with business institutions; and this is the right time to come and better understand your mandate and vision going forward. Once we are able to better understand these mandates, then we can help reach out to the targetted investors,” she said.
Chief Executive Officer of the GFZA, Ambassador Mike A. Oquaye jnr., in relishing the opportunity expressed confidence in how such partnerships with the B&FT can change Ghana’s development narrative. He was confident the collaboration will complement the GFZA’s quest to change the narrative that the special economic zones are the sole preserve of foreign investors.
“For years, the narrative has been pushed that special economic zones are for foreigners. But that is not the case here. The zones under our regulation have a 65 percent local interest in either complete local ownership or joint ventures with foreign investors. We are glad to have you here and help tell the real stories of how local investors can transform this economy by leveraging these special economic zones,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer for B&FT Dr. Godwin Acquaye also indicated that the GFZA as a public sector institution can leverage B&FTs quarterly and annual business events to not only educate the investor community but also set the agenda to drive economic growth via exports.
“Aside from the newspaper and the online platforms that we have, we are also into events such as The Ghana Economic Forum (GEF), African Business Leaders Forum (ABLF) and Ghana’s Most Respected CEOs (GMRCEOs) Breakfast Series among other events that target, most especially, the business community,” he said.
Mr. Agyepong thanked the team from the B&FT and pledged that the GFZA will avail itself to the opportunities presented to sustain the conversation on driving exports by local investors.
