Ghana to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with Czech Republic 

Ghana stands ready to strengthen her cooperation with the Czech Republic in trade and industry, investment and technological advancements, President John Dramani Mahama, has said. 

President Mahama made the remarks in his address at the opening of the Czech-Ghana Business Forum in Accra. 

The Business Forum is part of a three-day state visit by the Czech Republic President, Petr Pavel to Ghana. 

The forum is focusing on agriculture, health, and water resource management, aiming to foster partnerships between companies from both nations.? 

President Mahama reiterated that the potential for mutually beneficial collaboration between Ghana and the Czech Republic was immense. 

He noted that the Forum represents a significant milestone in the long-standing relation between the two nations, a relation, whose foundation dates back as far back as 8 October 1959, when diplomatic ties were first established between Ghana and the then Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. 

“In the decades since, our relations have evolved and deepened, weathering the storms of global geopolitical shifts, and emerging stronger with each passing year,” President Mahama said.  

He added: “Today, we stand poised to elevate this relation to greater heights, transforming our historical bonds into dynamic economic partnerships in the 21st century.”  

He said the Forum comes at an opportune time, bringing together private sector actors from both Ghana and the Czech Republic to network, explore synergies, and forge sustainable business partnerships for the mutual benefit of the two countries. 

That, he explained, is because the two nations collectively navigate the recent global challenges and embrace the transformative potentials of the African-Continental Free Trade Area Agreement signed recently. 

He said the presence of so many distinguished business leaders and government officials at the Forum underscores the importance both countries attach to the strengthening of our economic and commercial ties.  

Quoting an African proverb, President Mahama said: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, then go together.” 

He said: “We want to go far, and we will do so with our Czech colleagues. It is in this spirit of collaboration that we gather here today to forge partnerships that will benefit generations to come.” 

President Mahama said the Czech Republic with its remarkable industrial heritage, technological expertise, and innovative spirit, endowment with Ghana’s abundant natural resources, its strategic location, and dynamic young population stand to gain immensely from deepening their economic ties and their cooperation. 

Sharing some reflections on the current state of their economic relation and the boundless possibilities that lie ahead of them, President Mahama said according to the UN Home Trade Database on International Trade, exports from the Czech Republic to Ghana reached $20.82 million in 2023, while exports from Ghana to the Czech Republic stood at approximately just $1.12 billion in 2023. 

President Mahama said this trading balance, rather than being a cost or concern, could represent a compelling opportunity for growth, diversification, and mutual advancement. 

He said the well-mined data indicates that Ghana’s economy had demonstrated remarkable resilience with a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate projected at 4.2 per cent for 2025, a testament to the soundness of the economic policies we are implementing.  

He underscored that this positive trajectory, coupled with Ghana’s strategic position as a gateway to West Africa and that their important role as the host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, positions Ghana as an ideal partner for Czech businesses seeking to access the vast and rapidly growing African market of 1.3 billion consumers. 

President Mahama said: “My government is embarking on a bold and visionary 24-hour economic policy, a comprehensive framework designed to maximize economic productivity, optimize infrastructure utilization, and create sustainable employment opportunities across multiple sectors,” he said. 

“This forward-looking policy aligns with the transformative objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to create a single and integrated market for goods, services, and people across our diverse continents.” 

He said the 24-Hour Economic Policy focuses on strategic sectors that present exceptional opportunities for collaboration between Ghanaian and Czech enterprises.  

President Mahama said in the area of manufacturing, automobile production, and agro-processing, Ghana was steadily positioning itself as a manufacturing hub in West Africa, not only for the West African market, but for Africa as a whole. 

“We readily welcome Czech expertise in machinery, automotive components, and advanced agro-processing technologies to help Ghana add substantial value to our abundant agricultural produce and create integrated supply chains that benefit both our economies,” President Mahama said. 

He lauded the Czech Republic’s excellence in healthcare innovation and medical equipment manufacturing; saying “We earnestly welcome strategic partnerships to expand our healthcare infrastructure, enhance medical training programs, and develop our surgical manufacturing capacity, building upon successful existing collaborations such as the impactful Medivac programme”. 

He thanked the Czech government for its financial guarantees for the construction of the Kpone Mini Hospital, which was due for inauguration 

President Petr Pavel on his part, hailed Ghana’s high democratic standards, with an environment that was also designed with great economy, a lot of natural resources and conditions for agriculture, but also a country that was not only stable in itself but also creates conditions for stability in the region.  

“And that’s why it is a natural environment to create these little islands of stability and cooperation in a world that is increasingly unstable,” he said. 

“And I believe that in this world, we have a common interest to build on shared values, to build on partnerships, and to build on friendship.” 

Source: GNA 

The post Ghana to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with Czech Republic  appeared first on Ghana Business News.

Read Full Story