President Akufo-Addo has outdoored a 15-member steering committee to help shore up trade and investment in the country post Covid-19 pandemic.
It forms part of the “Beyond the Return” campaign launched after the ‘Year of Return’ event marked in the year 2019 to commemorate the 400 year anniversary since the first African slaves were sent to the Commonwealth of Virginia which subsequently became part of the United States of America.
The Steering Committee would be co-chaired by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and Dr. Ibrahim Awal, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture who have since pledged to bring their expertise to bear to make the work of the committee a successful one.
Other members of the “Beyond the Return” Steering Committee are the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako – Atta, Head of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, Akwasi Awuah Ababio will serve as its Coordinator whiles Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Edith Penelope Arhin, Regional Commander for the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Representative of the Ghana Tourism Federation, Madam Stella Appenteng and Professor Esi Sutherland Addy, Representative of PANAFEST are part.
The rest include the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Yofi Grant, Private sector representative, Kwame Acheampong Boateng, Media Majique’s Reginald Laryea, Rabbi Kohain of the Diaspora Coalition, Mrs. Worwornyo Agyeman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Dominic Afriyie Agyemang of the Ministry of Interior and a representative of the Ghana Tourism Authority to be determined.
Addressing them at the inuaguaration Tuesday evening at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo charged members to device strategies that will help position the country as the preferred tourism destination for African Americans in the diaspora post COVID-19.
In August 2018, the President proclaimed the 2019 as the “Year of Return” before the congressional black caucus of the United States Congress to commemorate the 400 year anniversary since the first African slaves were sent to the Commonwealth of Virginia which subsequently became part of the United States of America.
An event the President said later resulted in the visit of some one million, one hundred thousand people to Ghana, the highest international tourism arrivals recorded in the country for a longtime.
The next focus, he said was to intensify the country’s engagement with the diaspora more positively in areas such as trade and investment cooperation, skill and knowledge development, in what came to be known as “Beyond the Return”; a ten year initiative based on seven pillars, namely, Experience Ghana, Pan African Heritage and Innovation, Invest in Ghana, Diaspora Pathway to Ghana, Ghana Back Ghana, Celebrate Ghana, and Brand Ghana.
Unfortunately however, he said COVID-19 had a negative impact on the “Beyond the Return” agenda which affected tourism in the year 2020.
With global efforts to combat the pandemic through vaccinations and the adoption of safety protocols, the President was certain that global tourism is set to bounce back.
It was for this and other reasons charged the Steering Committee whose work it is to “Design and implement effective strategies to boost trade and investment cooperation, skills and technology transfer between Ghana and the African diaspora to achieve the” Beyond the Return” objectives, Design and implement effective strategies to encourage tourists and African in the diaspora to visit Ghana and thirdly, coordinate the interaction between the Ministry of tourism, arts and culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority to remove constrains to tourism in Ghana”, to ensure that Ghana becomes the lead tourism destination on the African after the world has overcomed the novel corona virus, COVID-19.
That, he said was because “the warmth of the Ghanaian, Ghana being at the centre of the world, Ghana’s rich and diversified tourists assets, Ghana being ranked as the most peaceful and stable country in West Africa and Ghana and the historic Pan African vocation are unique selling points to attract many more international tourists into the country and provide the foundation for the success of the Beyond the Return initiative.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent