French Chamber holds awards, gala night
THE fourth edition of the CCIFG Gala Night and CCIFG Awards has been held in Accra with a fresh pledge by the government to accelerate efforts that can put the economy on a sound footing and return it to pre-COVID-19 levels.
A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, who made the pledge, stated that a key priority of the government had been to transform the structure of the economy from over-reliance on export of raw agricultural produce to value-added products.
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“One area that is ripe for realising this goal is how to utilise technology to unlock the enormous potential in agricultural value chains.
“Agriculture remains the engine for economic growth, and supports the livelihoods of more than 60 per cent of the population, providing employment for over 40 per cent of the people,” Mrs Asiamah-Adjei said at the annual awards scheme on May 26.
The awards scheme
The CCIFG Annual Gala Night is an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry France Ghana (CCIFG).
It seeks to provide a unique platform for élite high-level exchanges between delegates from various sectors in the Ghanaian industry, members of the chamber and the diplomatic scene.
Institutions awarded at the event included Silver Star Auto, TechnipFMC, Meridian Port Services (MPS) Tema, TotalEnergies, Allianz Life Insurance and Société Générale Ghana PLC.
Dignitaries, who graced the occasion, are European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, French Ambassador to Ghana, Anne-Sophie Ave, Second Lady of Ghana, Samira Bawumia, and the CEO of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Yofi Grant.
Future of food
Mrs Asiamah-Adjei said it was widely acknowledged that the future of food was being defined by new technologies that were changing the way food was produced, processed and distributed.
“More importantly, we can attract the youth to the agriculture sector if we work closely together to transform the sector from one of subsistence into a modern, sustainable and globally competitive value addition sector.
“We recognise that the government has a vital role to play in building and maintaining an enabling environment for economic transformation, and have, therefore, put in place robust policies and regulations to enable the private sector to thrive,” she said.
Mrs Asiamah-Adjei said: “France and Ghana share a special relationship; a shared relationship built on the basis of friendly cooperation, mutual respect and common interests. These are ideals for ensuring successful collaboration.”
She said it was an undeniable fact that most countries that had achieved economic growth and transformation on a significant scale over the years, had done so at the back of industrialisation.
According to her, to achieve rapid economic growth, create significant job opportunities and reduce poverty, Ghana must first industrialise.
“In addition, we cannot ignore the fact that Africa represents a massive business opportunity. With a population of over 1 billion people, consumer spending in Africa is projected to rise from $680 billion in 2008 to $2.2 trillion by 2030,” she said.
The continent will have the fastest-growing youth population in the world by 2030. The size of the African Continental Free Trade Area is worth $3.3 trillion – the largest free trade zone, since the World Trade Organisation was established.