On October 24, Ambassador Robert P. Jackson joined Minister of Business Development, the Honorable Ibrahim Mohammed Awal; Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, the Honorable Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei; Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, the Honorable Robert Ahomka-Lindsey at the Ghana Competitiveness Forum held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra. The forum was also attended by President and CEO of BCIU Mr. Peter Tichansky; senior members from the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and Ghanaian business community; and others.
In his remarks, the Ambassador underscored the partnership the United States and Ghana to increase official bilateral and business collaborations, and observed that greater transparency and accountability are necessary to serve all Ghanaians and promote confidence from investors in Ghana. “Our businesses and investors have long been at the forefront of deepening ties between our countries, and we appreciate the work of the Business Council for International Understanding in advancing these partnerships. Since I arrived in Ghana nearly two years ago, one of my key priorities has been to increase trade and investment and deepen our commercial relationship. Bilateral trade between our two countries totaled $1.1 billion last year. There are over 250 American companies currently operating in Ghana, including eight companies that have opened over the last two years. Many more are exploring the possibility of investing or expanding here, as evidenced by the many businesses represented here today.”
The Ambassador also noted that Ghana should take additional steps to increase transparency in public procurements to ensure Ghanaians receive the best-value, highest-quality services. He lauded plans for a publicly accessible government procurement website that allows citizens to view opportunities to bid on government contracts, provides names of all bidders, details the timeline of the bid, and allows citizens to make anonymous formal complaints need to be finalized and implemented. “Initiatives such as these that seek to combat graft, promote government efficiency, and increase transparency would send a strong signal that Ghana is truly open for business,” he said. Read the Ambassador’s full remarks here.
