CBG Champions Ghana, Singapore Relations

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (middle) is joined by Ken Ofori-Atta, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Dr. Ernest Addison and other officials

CONSOLIDATED BANK Ghana (CBG) has backed efforts by Government to build a strong partnership with Singapore and help increase trade and investment between the two countries.

According to the Managing Director (MD) of CBG, Daniel Wilson Addo, CBG believes such a partnership will be in the strategic interest of Ghana.

He was delivering an address recently in Accra on the side lines of a dinner organised in honour of the Senior Minister of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

In attendance was Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, other top government officials and business executives, as part of ongoing engagements to strengthen the relationship between the two Countries.

Singapore’s Senior Minister described Ghana as a serious country based on the depth and quality of discussions he and his delegation had with Government officials.

He said Singapore was ready to work together with Ghana for the mutual benefits of both countries.

Dr. Bawumia, who was Guest of Honour, acknowledged the strides that Singapore has made and said Ghana was determined to learn from the Asian giant to achieve similar feat.

He said Ghana will pursue partnership through trade with Singapore and other countries, in line with the President’s agenda of a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.

“We want to be friends with Singapore because the brand is very good for Ghana, the experience is very good, and it’s going to be a win-win partnership between our two countries,” the Vice President emphasised. Dr. Bawumia also spoke of gains that Ghana has made in the area of payment systems and said Singapore was impressed with Ghana’s progress and offered to include Ghana in a global payment system that, Singapore has developed to integrate with India and other countries.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on his part, said the success of Singapore was underpinned by effective organisation, which Ghana could learn and apply to develop.

He added that Ghana was ready to leverage its hosting of the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to become a regional hub for key economic activities.

He therefore invited Singapore to invest and do business with Ghana.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, who also spoke at the dinner, was hopeful that the Treaty, when concluded and ratified, will further increase Singapore’s investments in Ghana.