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Republic of Malta celebrates National Day in Accra …with a call for investments in Ghana
The High Commission of the Republic of Malta in Ghana, on Wednesday 13th December, 2023 celebrated Malta’s forty-ninth (49th) Republic Day in a colourful event at the premises of the High Commission, located at Ridge in Accra.
The Guest of Honour at the well-attended event was Honourable Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture. During his speech, he urged foreign investors to take advantage of Ghana’s strategic position to invest in the country under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Hon. Awal further explained that AfCFTA, which is a market of about 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP of over US$3.3 Trillion, equally offers enormous opportunities for private sector operators to establish their businesses in Ghana through strategic partnerships and Joint Ventures.
The Minister stressed on the four pillars of the Government’s Economic Transformation Agenda which encompass the building of a resilient economy, modernizing Ghana’s agricultural sector, industrial transformation, and infrastructural development. He added that Ghana is committed to building a competitive and stable economy and becoming a more attractive destination for investment.
“Government’s prioritization of strategic sectors such as tourism, pharmaceuticals, mining, petrochemicals and integrated aluminium situated within the ambit of flagship programmes such as the “Year of Return and Beyond the Return”, “One District One Factory”, present golden opportunities for an enhanced Ghana-Malta cooperation,” he said.
Relations
On the Ghana/Malta relations, he said Ghana valued its relations with Malta and welcomed the cooperation between the two countries in various fields which have deepened bonds of friendship and cooperation.
“Malta is reputed to be a country that has made steady progress to become one of the most competitive industrialised countries in the world.
It is, therefore, worth mentioning that Malta’s efforts towards achieving a buoyant economy and asserting itself as a relevant global player, is indeed worthy of emulation,” he added.
Increasing cooperation
The Maltese High Commissioner to Ghana, Jean Claude Galea Mallia, said the relationship between the two countries has developed since the establishment of the High Commission of Malta in Ghana in 2019.
He said going forward, his outfit will continue working enthusiastically as a proponent for more exchanges between the people of Malta and Ghana.
He said Malta’s priorities in Ghana are driven by the Malta-Africa Strategy for Partnership and aimed at establishing a strong and lasting mutually beneficial collaboration with the country, region, and continent.
“Malta and Ghana are both committed to increasing cooperation and meaningful exchanges in tourism and culture, including knowledge transfer and cooperation on destination marketing strategies, public relations, advertising campaigns, heritage regeneration and repurposing, as well as exchanging tourism-related research and information,” he said.
Photography exhibition
As part of the celebration, a photography exhibition, dubbed, Valletta-Accra: A dialogue between Mercantile Cities, was inaugurated.
According to the High Commissioner, the exhibition forms part of an ongoing collaboration between Maltese and Ghanaian researchers: Architect Erica Giusta representing AP Valletta, Architect David Kojo Derban, Art and Design Writer, Ann Dingli, and Photographer, Paul Addo, supported by the Malta Arts Council.
He said the purpose of the exhibition and the research project is to convey a dynamic perspective on heritage, rooted in the basic theoretical principle that heritage should not be static but rather in constant evolution.
“The conclusion that shall be taken from this is that sustainable heritage could be achieved by the full utilisation and harmonisation of natural, cultural, folkloric, and historical and architectural resources fused.
Through such partnerships, researchers, architects, artists, and curators from both countries may share experience and knowledge with finding innovative solutions for preserving heritage and bringing it closer to the public,” he said.
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
