Prof. Hugh Aryee
Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Ghana, Prof. Hugh Aryee, has called on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin to boost trade and investment partnerships with the country.
The South Pacific Ocean nation, with a population of about 308,000 people, has 82 islands that relies on import of tourism.
Prof. Aryee told the media after closed-door discussions with the Speaker and members of the Trade and Industry Committee that the Republic of Vanuatu wanted to strengthen relations with Ghana and establish a Ghana-Vanuatu trade zone.
He stated that the purpose of the tour was to guarantee “an improved and strong economic tie with Ghana, by increasing economic exchanges and establishing new relationships between businesses from Vanuatu and Ghana.”
“The future looks bright and exciting for business opportunities in Vanuatu and many other trade relations,” he noted.
Prof. Aryee stated that the Speaker of Vanuatu requested the exchange, pointing out that the Commission in Ghana has so many programmes for the nation this year.
“We want to ensure that the name Vanuatu becomes a household name in Ghana. We are also in touch with the Football Federation of Vanuatu for a national football team to play the Black Stars somewhere at the end of the year,” he said.
“We are also forming some clubs in Ghana which would be called the Vanuatu Business Fund Club and Vanuatu Social Fun Club,” he added.
According to the new Trade Commissioner, these would primarily be for students in the second circle institutions to learn more about Vanuatu and prepare the ground for them to come to Vanuatu as part of their tourism ventures.
“There are other trade programmes which will come up within the course of the year for Ghanaians who want to establish business in Vanuatu and vice-versa,” he announced.
Speaker Bagbin, according to him, spoke extensively about his personal interest in Vanuatu as one of the best tourism locations and expressed gratitude for the presence of the Vanuatu Trade Commission in Ghana, which would ease trade, business, and tourism.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House