UK Trade Minister Lord Livingston has embarked on his first official visit to Ghana to strengthen trade relations between the two countries.
Ghana is the UK’s sixth largest export market in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013 exports of goods and services totalled £650 million. To help spur economic growth, Ghana aims to attract more foreign investment. British businesses continue to see Ghana as a valuable investment base in West Africa and there are many existing and flourishing flagship UK companies operating across multiple sectors.
During his two day visit (12-13 February) Lord Livingston will be visiting the Blue Skies factory – a British/Ghanaian company that exports fruit produce to the UK and other European countries. Blue Skies is an excellent example of a company adding value to the Ghanaian economy.
The Minister will also visit the Dodowa hospital site – a project under construction by NMS Infrastructure, a UK Project Management company that was awarded a contract by the Ministry of Health in 2012 to build and equip seven district hospitals in Ghana.
Lord Livingston will attend a G8 partnership lunch hosted by The British High Commissioner to Ghana HE. Jon Benjamin. The lunch will bring together members of the G8 community, civil society, representatives from the oil and gas industry as well as the Deputy Minister of Petroleum and the Deputy Minister for Land and Resources. The meeting aims to encourage greater discussion and collaboration between the Government of Ghana, civil society and corporate entities in the oil & gas and mining sectors, and will highlight cross-government work on building an institutional framework in Ghana for the extractives industry.
On 13 February, Lord Livingston will open the Business Breakfast Meeting hosted by First Atlantic Bank. The objective of the meeting will be to explore the step-change in unlocking finance for infrastructure investment as well as exploring capital market development potential for British companies in Ghana.