EU to Support Ghana's Economic Development

The European Union (EU) has promised to support Ghana's economic development and growth towards becoming a middle-income country.

"We are strongly committed to change the ways of cooperation with Africa and especially Ghana and focused to create jobs and roads as well as to support the private sector, investments. And also strengthen policy dialogue", the Head of the EU delegation to Ghana, Diana Acconcia stated.

This was when she called on the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Aaron Mike Oquaye in Accra. She said the EU was considering engaging Ghana to exchange connections with EU experts on Local governance and decentralisation of the country.

She further noted that the EU was engaging with the Forestry Commission on how to make timber exports from Ghana more sustainable.

Ms. Acconcia was hopeful that Ghana would have by the end of the year implemented the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the Forestry Agreement.

Prof Oquaye on his part appreciated the deepening of democracy with the EU and pledged to continue to cooperate socially, economically and politically in the furtherance of good governance in the country.

Contributing, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said the EU was expected to support issues of accountability, public sector management, employment, and other related issues under the 2014 - 2020 Ghana Indicative Programme with a total of 323 million euros but the disbursement of funds has been slow.

Mr. Iddrisu, therefore, said it was important for the EU to unlock those resources that have not been disbursed and urged the Union to engage with the government of Ghana to find ways of exploring the fishing industry.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Frank Annor - Dompreh appealed for the support of the EU in Ghana's bid to be relevant in the challenges of climate change, globally.

He believed that the incorporation of the private sector and the State, with regard to one district one factory (1D1F), will lead to job creation and open up of the economy for growth.

Source: ISD (Eva Frempon-Ntiamoah)

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