Take advantage of industrial transformation agenda -Trade Minister urges investors
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, has called on investors to buy into the government’s industrial transformation agenda to help develop the country. According to him, the basis of the government’s agenda was to create jobs as a way of transforming the country’s economic development.
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Mr Kyerematen said this when the Minister of State for Trade and Industry of Singapore, Dr Koh Poh Koon, paid a working visit to his office yesterday.
The Singaporean minister is in the country with investors to explore trade avenues as well as cement existing trade relations in the country.
Dr Koon will also inaugurate a biscuit factory today, built by Olam International, a multinational company from Singapore, which is expected to create jobs for over 700 Ghanaians.
On how Singapore can take advantage of the country’s investment opportunities, Mr Kyerematen said the government’s transformational agenda was hinged on 10 pillars.
These, he expanded, were technical and financial support for anchor projects; financing for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) development; agribusiness and infrastructural development; value addition and export diversification; industrial sub-contracting; improving the business environment and private sector participation in priority projects of the government, among others.
Government to explore
The trade minister said Singaporean investors could take advantage of the various avenues which included oil and gas, garments and textiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial salt.
Also, he said the government was going to explore further how to add value to iron, steel and bauxite before they were exported.
Mr Kyerematen added that the government had clarity of vision on what it wanted to achieve and was therefore looking for partners for a mutually beneficial relationship.
Dr Koon indicated that Singapore was ready to partner Ghana in areas that they had expertise in.
He said investors from Singapore were ready to work in the area of technological transfer such as in petro-chemical engineering.
Mr Koon commended Ghana for creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.