Gov’t pledges to support private sector growth despite challenges

Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, says the government will promote
private sector growth despite the economic challenges.

She said the government would continue to
prioritise the needs of the private sector to enable it to facilitate economic
growth.

The Minister was speaking at the inauguration
of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) Secretariat in
Accra.

The Secretariat will function as the
Chamber’s Administrative Office.

The Minister said the government would
continue to work with the Chamber to implement policies that would support and
grow local businesses. 

She said her outfit had worked closely with
the Chamber over the years to protect and promote private sector interests.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional
Integration’s diplomatic efforts have equally focused on partnership with the
Chamber on deepening political and economic ties globally,” she added.

She said through several projects, including
signing MOUs, business-to-business events, capacity building, and trade
missions, among others, the ministry had partnered with the GNCCI to promote
private businesses.

The government, she maintained, would
continue to work closely with the Chamber to support the growth of local
businesses.

She urged the Ghanaian business community to
actively engage with the GNCCI, to leverage the many opportunities and
resources available, and to contribute to the Chamber’s mission of promoting a
better business environment.

Mr. Kobina Tahiru Hammond, Minister for Trade
and Industries, said, in a speech read on his behalf, that Ghana was currently
at a crucial time since there were significant headwinds stemming from both the
domestic and external economic environment.

He said it was essential to strengthen
strategic collaborations between the government and the private sector, noting
that GNCCI played a crucial role in facilitating these collaborations.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to
collaborating with GNCCI to satisfy the needs of the business community and
boost Ghanaian enterprises’ competitiveness.

Dr. Clement Osei Amoako, President of the
GNCCI, encouraged the government to assist the Chamber’s efforts to establish a
regional secretariat to facilitate the chamber’s regional operations.

He said the new headquarters would be a
bustling hub for nurturing ideas, developing strategies, and forming
collaborations.

The President emphasised that the secretariat
would become a place where the private sector’s interests would be championed
while also contributing to the nation’s economic progress and prosperity.