November 3rd, 2021
Ghana: A blend of natural wonders and conducive business environment.
By : Prisca Sam-Duru
Ghana’s port city of Accra is the country’s commercial hub, the most populated city as well as the seat of its government.
With a relatively peaceful environment, Ghana has encouraged mutual and progressive relationships with tourists, businessmen and women both within and outside the country. Ghana is a beautiful West African country famous for its sandy white beaches and beautiful skies. The country’s natural wonders have been a source of attraction to people from all over the world. Her proximity to the equator makes the weather warm and pleasurable all year round, a reason for the location of numerous natural spots in the place. Tourists and business people looking to unwind, take advantage of its sandy white beaches to engage in water activities such as skiing, diving, swimming and surfing.
In the area of trade and investment, Ghana now boasts of new market opportunities, with its economy gaining increasing international attention over the years, just like its real estate sector, which was previously relegated. There are also vibrant street markets where assorted handicrafts are on display and the National Museum of Ghana, which offers a peep into the country’s rich cultural heritage through stunning artefacts.
Ghana-China diplomatic relations were established on July 5th, 1960, with a solid foundation for the development of bilateral ties. Under the framework of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, the two countries have been able to achieve so much in diverse fields of bilateral cooperation.
China is said to have provided economic assistance to Ghana and has made frantic efforts toward the promotion of cooperation between the two countries. Strong cultural and educational exchanges and people-people bonds between the two countries have also been strengthened and expanded, resulting in a sharp increase in the number of Ghanaian students studying in Chinese academic institutions at various levels and in different fields.
It is envisaged that the hit on the entire globe by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created a new normal, will result in a significant way of conducting business and political engagements across the globe. Interestingly, Ghana is already looking forward to a boom in bilateral relations in the post-pandemic era as foreign investors are being encouraged to finance office blocks, malls, and residential buildings.
And so, “Ghana-china relations can ride on the back of the new normal to create viable political, economic, social and cultural partnerships that will define the two countries’ future in the post-COVID-19 era”, said Ghana’s Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia, during the 60th commemoration of Ghana-China Diplomatic ties.
“China is currently the largest investor in Ghana by the number of registered projects”, Bawumia said, noting that the two countries have continued to enjoy a multilateral level of cooperation as they work together to ensure a just, equitable and peaceful international order. China, he disclosed, is also “Ghana’s biggest trading partner with the total value of trade reaching a record of $7.46 billion in 2019, surpassing our traditional trade partners”.
While Ghana takes stock of the achievements of Sino-Ghanaian relations over the years and maintains a conducive business environment, the country is also on track regarding exploring new areas of cooperation in the years ahead.