President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday opened the country office of the Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Accra to promote trade and attract foreign direct investments from Japan.
JETRO is an agency of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, External Trade and Investment, responsible for promoting mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world.
At a ceremony to open the organisation’s office, President Akufo-Addo described the establishment of the JETRO Ghana office as an important development towards Ghana’s economic relations with Japan.
“It provides a permanent administrative mechanism for strengthening bilateral dialogue and cooperation on trade, investment and private sector development programmes between Japan and Ghana
“The JETRO Ghana office should help facilitate business linkages by directly addressing the language barrier between Ghanaian and Japanese companies,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said Ghana would be looking forward to more substantial investments by Japanese companies in Ghana’s manufacturing to enable Ghana to realise its full potential as a regional manufacturing hub in Africa
He expressed the government’s commitment to industrialise the Ghanaian economy to propel growth and address the problem of unemployment among the youth.
He said Ghana had business-friendly environment that had made the country “an investment destination of choice for investors”.
“We also have a buoyant domestic private sector capable and eager, to partner with counterparts from Japan,” he said
President Akufo-Addo expressed appreciation to the government of Japan for “the assistance and cooperation offered Ghana since my assumption of office in January, 2017. I also appreciate the work that has been done since the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Ghana and Japan on 29, August 2019 to ensure the establishment of this JETRO Ghana office”.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, expressed optimism, that the establishment of JETRO country office in Ghana would facilitate more trade and investments between Ghana and Japan.
He said Ghana had the right environment and opportunities for investors from Japan and added that businesses in Ghana were ready to explore similar opportunities in Japan and partnerships.
BY YAW KYEI