The national airline of Angola, TAAG, will commence operations between Accra and Luanda before the end of this year. The Angolan Ambassador to Ghana, Joao Baptista Domingos Quiosa disclosed here yesterday at Ho, the Volta Regional capital.
He was speaking during a breakfast meeting with members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), various entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the business community as part of his two-day tour of the Volta Region.
The tour was to enable the ambassador and his entourage to identify areas of the viable business between the region and his country.
The envoy said that the move was part of efforts to boost bilateral trade between Ghana and Angola without delay.
In that vein, he said, the government of Angola had already committed to the withdrawal of visa requirements between the two countries.
“We are waiting now for Ghana’s Parliament to endorse their side of the accord,” Ambassador Quioso added.
He pointed out that it was high time African leaders moved beyond hearty hugs and handshakes and made decisive moves toward continental unity and intra-Africa trade to liberate the people economically.
“The dream to unite Africa has taken too long to realise and we better act now to make the dream come true,” the Angolan Ambassador said.
Touching on security in his country, Ambassador Quioso gave the assurance that after a very long period of war, Angola was now the safest place to be and do business in Africa.
He was optimistic that any form of bilateral trade between his country and Ghana, “such as selling kente,” for instance, would rapidly flourish into their mutual economic gains and create jobs for their youth.
Meanwhile, the Trade Counsellor of the Angola Embassy, Rui Livramento sought to know why Ghana would import strawberries and other fruits from Europe at a whopping cost if Angola produced them bountifully.
Earlier, Mr Dela Gadzanku, Chairman of the AGI in Eastern, Volta and Oti regions said that the association was on an uncompromising mission to industrialise, especially in the fields of agro-business, tourism and ICT.
He insisted that the best way to achieve that vision in Africa was intra-continental trade.
“Let us produce and sell to ourselves and keep our money to ourselves,” Mr Gadzanku added.
The entourage visited Gbledi, the location of Mountain Afadzato and other tourism sites in the Hohoe Municipality, Ho West District and farms in the region.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO