Updated Jan 29, 2018
American
companies has for the past 20 years invested over 10 billion dollars in various
sectors of Ghana’s economy and hope to inject more in the coming years to
provoke increased bilateral trade between the two countries.
In an exclusive
interview with Radio Ghana’s Isaac Asare, the US Ambassador to Ghana, His
Excellency, Robert Jackson said the United States is determined to making Ghana
a preferred trade and investment hub and has to this effect identified garments
and textiles as some of the few products that have great potential in the US
market.
According to him, the sector possess much resilience to changing the
face of the country’s business outlook when duly prioritized.
Ambassador
Jackson admitted that trade and investment between Ghana and the US have
witnessed a sharp decline over the period.
He said although the US government is keen on making Ghana a key
investment hub, the country has failed in its bit to take advantage of the
reviewed African Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA, a trade legislation which
significantly enhances market access to the US for qualifying sub Saharan
Africa countries.
He added that despite the level of apathy, the US government
strives to make huge investment in untapped potentials capable of turning the
fortunes of the country around.
Ambassador Jackson singled out garment and
textiles among other products that have such potentials.
He hinted that last
year, Ghana exported about a million dollar worth of garments to the US and expressed
the hope that by the end of the year, it will shot up to 30 million dollars due
to its high demand.
According to Ambassador Jackson, there exist some
opportunities in the Agricultural sector, stressing that the past years has
seen some agricultural products entering the US.
He revealed export of orange juice
from Ghana to the US has begun and that his office is in talk with the Trade
Ministry to identify other agricultural products for export.
Answering
questions on delay of visas and high airfares, Ambassador Jackson noted that in
as much as the US government is working to make visa acquisition quite easier
for Ghanaians, the embassy had engaged the new Ghana’s Ambassador to the US to
ensure that Americans applying for Visas to the country receives faster
processes for increased bilateral trade and investment.
Story by GBC's Isaac Asare
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