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Let’s harness Ghana-Peru trade investment potential-Peru Ambassador
The Ambassador of Peru to Ghana, Her Excellency Rosa Liliana Gómez de Weston, has urged Ghanaian private sector players and government agencies to collaborate with the Embassy of Peru to harness the great trade and investment potential and the cordial relations between Ghana and Peru for the economic benefit of the two countries as well as the prosperity of their citizens.
Her Excellency Rosa Liliana Gómez de Weston made the call during the Ghana – Peru Trade and Investment Seminar organised by the Embassy of Peru in Ghana in partnership with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) on Thursday, August 8, 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
The well attended seminar was held at the offices of GIPC in Cantonment, Accra.
According to the Ambassador, bilateral trade between Peru and Ghana has significant untapped potential and the seminar is an opportunity to explore and identify new areas of collaboration, particularly in sectors where our strengths complement each other.
“Through the entrepreneurs present, we hope to create new bonds between our nations. Peru and Ghana recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish political consultations, which is the framework for the continuous development and strengthening of bilateral trade between the two nations,” she added.
On his part, Mr. Reginald Yofi Grant, the Chief Executive Officer of GIPC highlighted that there is a new Ghana that is emerging with a sense of urgency and purpose and we have set our sights on becoming self-reliant and moving beyond aid, and we need you our investors as partners on this journey.
He further stated that Ghana’s strategic location as the “Centre of the World” makes it a prime location for firms looking for quick access to the African market and beyond. The country’s policies are well-coordinated to ensure that entrepreneurs, both local and foreign, benefit from rewarding returns.
The ultimate objective of the Trade and Investment Seminar is to promote trade and investment relations between Ghana and Peru, with a key focus on business-to-business engagement to explore opportunities.
In addition, the aim of organising the seminar was to increase the level of interest of businesses and investors in Ghana to trade to engage and do business with their counterparts in Peru.
The hybrid seminar witnessed participation by key Ghanaian and Peruvian public agencies and private stakeholders.
The Ghanaian agencies included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Export Promotion Authority and Ghana Free Zones Authority.
Some of the Peruvian Institutions that participated in the seminar were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Economic Division, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Lima Chamber of Commerce, Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism, Association of Exporters of Peru and the Agency for the Promotion of Private Investment.
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National Service Authority goes cashless
The National Service Authority (NSA) has announced a mandatory transition to a cashless payment system.
This initiative aligns with the government’s drive to modernize revenue collection.
In a statement, NSA noted that effective immediately, all user agencies and stakeholders are directed to make all payments,
including the 20% and 10% administrative service charges, through the GHANA.GOV platform.
This shift to digital payments offers greater transparency, convenience and accessibility for those working with the NSA.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read the full statement below
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Greater Accra Regional Minister calls on traders to operate within designated spaces to ease congestion
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has called on traders in the city to operate within designated spaces to ease congestion and maintain cleanliness in market centres.
Speaking with traders at the Kaneshie Market on February 4, 2025, during a tour of selected market centres to assess sanitation challenges, reinforce government commitment to address indiscriminate refuse disposal, and improve market conditions, the minister called for collaboration between traders and local authorities to address sanitation and maintain order.
She assured the new government’s commitment to addressing urban challenges and improving market conditions in Accra as part of its broader agenda for a cleaner city.
“We are here to engage you in a conversation about our mission to improve cleanliness in Greater Accra. We are taking into account the conditions of the roads, your problems, and your suggestions. Most walkways have been taken over by traders instead of serving their original purpose, which leads to traffic congestion. We want to understand your challenges so that we can find the best way to assist you,” the Minister stated.
The Minister who was accompanied by officials from the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council ( GARCC) led by the Chief Director of the GARCC, Mrs. Lilian Baeka, some staff from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly(AMA) and other sister assemblies in the Region used the opportunity to enquire about the state of waste disposal within the market and the efficiency of refuse collection by the assemblies.
“Does it take long for the refuse to be collected after it is gathered? These are some of the issues we want to address,” she added, inviting traders to share their thoughts.
The President of the Greater Accra Markets Association, Mrs. Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan who welcomed the minister, expressed gratitude for the visit and assured traders commitment to rally support behind her as a woman in leadership.
”In the market, we face numerous challenges we wish to discuss. There are various groups of traders with some selling at the top, others beneath, while some can be relocated, others should be removed. However, we must follow due process to ensure that people’s livelihoods are not affected. She cannot do it alone, and we are ready to support her efforts,” she stated.
She noted that efforts to regulate trading activities, especially on the Kaneshie overhead footbridge, had proven difficult despite continuous engagements with the police.
Madam Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan identified street trading as a major concern, explaining that it had significantly affected business inside the main markets.
“Our major problem is those selling outside. Because of them, the market is now dry. Almost everyone has moved onto the streets. They are our brothers and sisters, and we want them inside the market. There are a lot of vacant spaces they can occupy,” she said.
On sanitation, she remarked that significant progress had been made, stressing that previously, the Kaneshie market was associated with rubbish, but the story had changed for good.
