Ghana, South Africa to strengthen eco ties

Story: Boahene Asamoah

GHANA and South Africa have agreed to strengthen trade links in agriculture, market access and investment in agro-processing.
The two countries also agreed to ensure technology transfer , co-operation in eco-tourism, infrastructural development and cultivation of forest plantation.
This was the outcome of a three-day technical meeting between the two countries on the Implementation of the Decisions on Trade, Investment, Tourism and Mining of the Permanent Joint Commission for Co-operation held in Accra.
Ghana and South Africa established a Permanent Joint Commission for Co-operation in Pretoria in May, 2007.
Following the establishment of the commission, a three-member delegation from the West African Bilateral Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa visited the country last week to begin a four-day technical meeting.
The South African delegation was led by Mrs Hester Obisi, the Director of the West Africa Bilaterals, Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa. The Ghanaian delegation was headed by the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Exports Promotion Council (GEPC), Mr Edward Collins Boateng.
A report issued at the end of the four-day technical meeting recommended the harmonisation of rules, regulations and standards for import and export of fauna and flora.
The report said Ghana reiterated the importance of the agro-processing sector to its economic development, and called for the deepening of Ghana-South African ties.
The delegates also agreed on exploring the possibility of accessing the Southern African Development Commission (SADC) markets through South Africa.
According to the report, Ghana invited South Africa to take advantage of opportunities in the agri-business and agro-processing industry to invest in the sector.
To that end, the two countries took note of the existing feasibility studies undertaken by the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) and the Post Harvest Technologies of South Africa for the establishment of an agro-processing factory in the country.
The report said the South African delegation was interested in learning from Ghana about some projects like the President’s Special Initiative, low cost housing, human resource development, bio fuels, transportation and communications infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, small business and co-operatives development and waste management.
The report said the two countries agreed on the need for an appropriate legal framework for preferential market access arrangements between the two countries, and also to speed up the legal process to ensure the coming into force of the bilateral trade agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding on economic co-operation.