Vice President Bawumia with Karl Nehammer
Vice President Bawumia was at his usual best yesterday when he marketed Ghana to the Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer and members of his delegation at the Ghana-Austria business forum held at the Kempinki Hotel in Accra.
Ghana, he said, “is home to one of West Africa’s most prominent and efficient ports (Tema on the eastern coastline which serves as a feedstock to the landlocked ECOWAS countries). There is also the Takoradi port on the western coast which serves the logistics, oil and gas and allied industries.”
These access points, he said, “mean companies have an easy route to the ECOWAS market of approximately 370m people and the AfCFTA with 1.3bn people and a combined and growing GDP of $3.4 trillion.”
Apart from that, he said “we have a stable political environment, safe, happy people, strong democratic culture underpinned by freedom of expression, consensus, and plural media environment.”
“We apply the rule of law in a robust and fair manner. We practice common law, and the judicial system ensures safeguards of company and individual interests”, he emphasised.
He said, Ghana’s position as “a leading gold producing country in Africa, 2nd largest cocoa producer in the world, 3rd largest bauxite reserve in Africa with over 180m tonnes, Oil & substantial natural Gas reserves, exciting new lithium prospects, 60m tonnes of manganese, diamonds, 150 m tonnes of iron ore deposits, 13.5 million hectares of arable land, 6.4 million hectares of cultivable land, 230k hectares of irrigable land and importantly for the tourism sector, 560 km of pristine shoreline (350 miles) etc. are critical attractions to investors.”
He therefore noted that “our vision is to enhance Ghana’s economic development through cooperation with advanced economies like Austria to take full advantage of the AFCFTA” and that “as a globally recognised industrial and manufacturing powerhouse, Austria clearly has the means and capability to take full advantage of the AfCFTA.”
Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, said it was the first time a top government official from his country was visiting Ghana.
He talked of the already existing relation between Austria and Ghana which he said was cordial.
He, therefore, stressed the belief that his visit to Ghana will open new doors and opportunities for both sides of the divide.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent