The United States of America is working together with the Ghanaian government to identify trade and business opportunities for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
“We believe in Ghana’s potential for economic growth and prosperity. We are working together with entrepreneurs and communities to help create the environment that will develop that promise”, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert Porter Jackson, has affirmed.
Addressing students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, he noted that his country was determined to expand trade and investment in Ghana.
“I would love for Americans to discover more Ghanaian products in their local stores: shea butter, shoes, textiles, cars, the lists go on and on,” Ambassador Jackson said.
He cited the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was one avenue the business sector, could take advantage of to penetrate the American market by providing duty-free treatment on imports from Ghana.
In addition, the USAID’s West Africa Trade Hub and the Feed the Future Programme had also increased regional trade in agricultural products to improve food security.
Ambassador Jackson’s interaction with the students formed part of his working visit to the Ashanti Region, and as part of his itinerary, he paid courtesy calls on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Regional Minister, Mr Alexander John Ackon, as well as the leadership of the Muslim community.
He used the occasion to explain the US’ vision and policies for the country as pertained to economic growth, health and education, peace and security, democracy and governance, as well as institution building.
Ambassador Jackson said his country currently had about 3,000 Ghanaian students studying various academic programmes at the university level, saying the US government would not relent in its desire to create more educational exchange programmes to the advantage of the two countries.
Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, said the university had opened its doors to the private sector for investment and partnerships to making their programmes more relevant to the needs of industry and the market.
Source: The Finder