Veep markets One District One Factory in Mauritius

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has rallied foreign investors and businesses to take advantage of Ghana’s new government’s pro-business policies to invest in the country.

 

According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was determined to make the private sector a major player in the Ghana’s economy.

 

He said there was the need for global partners to set up shops in Ghana for a win-win situation.

 

Dr Bawumia was speaking at a Breakfast Business Meeting hosted by the Mauritius Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in collaboration with the Board of Investment of Mauritius, where he sold the Nana Akufo-Addo government’s “One District One Factory” programme to businesses in Mauritius.

 

The programme is a public-private partnership for ensuring nationwide spread of industrialisation in all 216 districts in Ghana. 

 

The private sector will provide the investment, although government could partner if such an investment of public funds is adjudged prudent and advantageous.

 

Dr Bawumia told the meeting that Ghana’s main agenda was an industrialisation drive, and that the ‘One-District One Factory’ was the programme to achieve that aim.

 

“The 216 districts in Ghana have raw materials and need push up to get value addition to the products. Ghana cannot do it alone, we are in the context of the global economy and need partners…that is why we cherish the South-South cooperation between Ghana and Mauritius so much,” he said.

 

“We want to take advantage of the close relationship to make a major mark as far as our respective economies are concerned.

 

“The government has made a major commitment to build an economy based on production and not taxation. We have abolished a lot of taxes and levies and going to abolish all import duties on raw materials and machinery imported into Ghana,” Dr Bawumia said.

 

Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade commended Ghana for her commitment to business development, and expressed the hope that Ghanaian businesses would also invest in his country.

 

Mr Michael Okyere Baafi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Board, who was part of a large Ghanaian business delegation at the meeting, expressed confident that the right building blocks had been put in place for rapid take off.

 

“The Ghana government has introduced the appropriate legislation and we are optimistic that we will soon see several Mauritian businesses counted among those taking up the challenge of the One District, One Factory Programme. 

“We at Free Zones Board are ready to partner them and make their businesses successful.”

 

Vice President Bawumia was accompanied by Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Ibrahim Awal, Minister for Business Development; Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Communications; Reginald Yoofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and other government officials.

 

Source: GNA