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 Ghana committed to reformed business environment  —President Mahama

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• President Mahama (second from left) interacting with Amb. Irchad Razaaly (second from right) and other Ambassadors at the business forum Photo: Ebo Gorman
• President Mahama (second from left) interacting with Amb. Irchad Razaaly (second from right) and other Ambassadors at the business forum Photo: Ebo Gorman

President John Dramani Mahama had extended a hand of invitation to European investors to take advantage of Ghana’s improving economy to venture into the country for mutual benefit.

He said there were investment opportu­nities in agro industrial zones, renewable energy and green finance, pharmaceutical in­dustry, digital infrastructure and innovation, transport and connectivity amongst others.

President Mahama who stated this in Accra yesterday during the Ghana-Europe­an Union (EU) Business Forum, said since taking the reins of power in January this year, the economic indices of the country had improved with better projections into the future.

The programme organised by the Eu­ropean Union (EU) and the Government of Ghana was under the theme “Fostering investment in high growth potential value chains under the EU Global Gateway Strat­egy.”

As part of the programme, the EU signed several support packages to the country and some private organisations totalling more than four billion euros.

President Mahama said “Under my lead­ership, Ghana is embarking on a new era of industrial diversification, youth employment, and green transformation and the role of investors and strategic partnerships will be indispensable.”

Ghana, the President noted, was emerg­ing from a period of fiscal distress, high inflation, and declining investor confidence amongst other negative indicators.

According to him, the tide of economic turbulence was turning around with a steep adjustment in the primary balance from negative 3.9 of GDP by end of year 2024 to a projected positive 1.5 of Gross Domestic Product by end of this year.

“These bold and targeted interventions are beginning to witness early signs of eco­nomic recovery and renewed momentum,” he emphasized.

The updated real composite index of economic activity, he disclosed recorded an annual growth of 2.3 per cent for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 1.0 per cent for the same period last year.

With inflation easing to 21.2 from 23.8 at the end of 2024, a single digit inflation pro­jected by middle of 2026, appreciating cedi, gross international reserve improving from $8.9 billion to $10.6 billion amongst other positive economic indicators, though early in the year, President Mahama said the future looks even brighter.

“My government’s vision is to build a resilient and dynamic economy that creates jobs, adds value to our natural resources and empowers small and medium enterprises to scale up globally.

“I assure all potential partners that under this administration, Ghana is committed to transparent governance, policy predictability, and a reformed business environment,” he stressed.

The Deputy Director-General of Inter­national Partnerships of the EU, Myriam Ferran, said the forum aimed to identify new business and trade opportunities, facilitating partnerships, and enhancing investment through risk guarantee schemes like the Eu­ropean Fund for Sustainable Development Goals.

She noted that EU investments in Ghana had doubled since 2016, reaching €4 billion in 2023 and said there was further opportu­nities to increase trade between Ghana and EU.

Ms Ferran said EU was supporting a lot of projects to accelerate the socio-economic development of Ghana and said the projects were in the areas of feeder roads, irrigation systems, agriculture, energy and health, adding that discussions were underway to support Ghana with 135 million euros to support energy infrastructure to improve electricity supply in Northern Ghana and rural communities.

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Agri­business, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said the government was committed to creating a transparent and conducive business environ­ment that fostered investment and economic transformation.

She said Ghana and EU had enjoyed long standing relationship, adding that Ghana and EU cooperation should move beyond raw commodities to value-added production and technology transfer.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said Ghana was also seeking EU collaboration to build a strong pharmaceutical industry, aiming to become a manufacturing hub for vaccines and essential medicines in West Africa.

The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchard Razaaly, said EU and Ghana shared a com­mon development mission, saying that the EU was committed to the development of Ghana, and would support the government to address the growing unemployment chal­lenge facing the country.

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 60 beekeepers trained in Volta, Oti regions

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• participants at the event

 Sixty beekeepers from the Volta and Oti regions have undergone a day’s capacity training in Ho to enhance their skills in improved way of harvesting honey.

The training which was organised by VOR­AB Project International, a non-governmen­tal organisation with funding from UNDP Global Environment Facility, seeks to school participants on the requisite knowledge on how to use modern equipment to enhance their work.

They were taken through hygienic ways of harvesting honey, guidelines of quality product, packaging and customer care.

Mr Devine Okoe Odonkor, Executive Director of VORAB Project International, noted that the NGO has been part of the beekeeping development effort in the Volta and Oti regions.

Therefore we are desirous of putting our expertise at the disposal of the district assemblies to develop the beekeeping industry as a sustainable nature conserva­tion and sustainable employment unit of the assemblies.

However, degradation of the natural environment due to primary production ac­tivities such as farming, sand winning and charcoal production have been alarming.

“We need to take advantage of a lot of benevolence for humanity, pollination for forest and farm crops production bee prod­ucts for food, medicine for these priceless gifts from bees.

Toured Amaglo, Customer Service Officer of the Forestry Commission in his remarks said we need to promote the establishment of one bee farm per district in the Volta and Oti regions as an integrated socio-economic and natural environment management unit of the assemblies.

He said despite financial challenges within the region, VORAB had demonstrat­ed appreciable efforts in making sure education gets to many more people in the communities.

He advised more youth to be ready to learn beekeeping and apply the various en­trepreneurial skills that would be provided.

From Kafui Gati, Ho

Sixty beekeepers from the Volta and Oti regions have undergone a day’s capacity training in Ho to enhance their skills in improved way of harvesting honey.

The training which was organised by VOR­AB Project International, a non-governmen­tal organisation with funding from UNDP Global Environment Facility, seeks to school participants on the requisite knowledge on how to use modern equipment to enhance their work.

They were taken through hygienic ways of harvesting honey, guidelines of quality product, packaging and customer care.

Mr Devine Okoe Odonkor, Executive Director of VORAB Project International, noted that the NGO has been part of the beekeeping development effort in the Volta and Oti regions.

Therefore we are desirous of putting our expertise at the disposal of the district assemblies to develop the beekeeping industry as a sustainable nature conserva­tion and sustainable employment unit of the assemblies.

However, degradation of the natural environment due to primary production ac­tivities such as farming, sand winning and charcoal production have been alarming.

“We need to take advantage of a lot of benevolence for humanity, pollination for forest and farm crops production bee prod­ucts for food, medicine for these priceless gifts from bees.

Toured Amaglo, Customer Service Officer of the Forestry Commission in his remarks said we need to promote the establishment of one bee farm per district in the Volta and Oti regions as an integrated socio-economic and natural environment management unit of the assemblies.

He said despite financial challenges within the region, VORAB had demonstrat­ed appreciable efforts in making sure education gets to many more people in the communities.

He advised more youth to be ready to learn beekeeping and apply the various en­trepreneurial skills that would be provided.

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 Dagbon bows in majesty to bid farewell to Late Mion Lana

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Sambu, the ancestral heartland of the Mion Traditional Area, has become a river of royal memory and cultural splendor as Dagbon bids farewell to one of its most revered sons, the late Mion Lana, Nyab Abdulai Mahamudu, in a grand specta­cle of tradition, reverence, and unity.

For a week now, the town has pulsed with a sacred rhythm resounding with ancestral drumming, soul-stirring dirges, ceremonial dances, and the thunderous salute of muskets.

The air is thick with incense and history, as Dagbon’s ancient customs unfurl in a symphony of grief and grandeur.

At the centre of it all stands the enduring spirit of the Mion Lana “The Peacemaker of Dagbon” whose final funeral rite, culmi­nated in a historic durbar, drawing chiefs, royals, politicians, and mourners.

All have gathered in Sambu not merely to mourn, but to celebrate a life that bridged tradition and transformation.

Nyab Abdulai Mahamudu was enskinned as Bolin-Lana at the tender age of 14, following the death of his father, the late Ya-Na Mahamadu IV.

For over three decades, he waited in the wings of tradition, observing sacred pro­tocols and enduring royal seclusion until March 3, 2019, when he was enskinned as Mion Lana, one of the most powerful positions within the Dagbon Kingdom and a direct heir to the revered Ya-Na throne. Yet his reign, though brief, was profoundly impactful.

With a voice firm in wisdom and a heart anchored in peace, the Mion Lana became a cornerstone in healing the fractured legacy of Dagbon’s past.

In 2019, his public endorsement of Ya-Na Abukari II symbolised the dawn of a new era—one of reconciliation, renewal, and shared destiny.

He was more than a royal figure; he was a visionary. Under his leadership, the Mion Traditional Area witnessed a surge in youth engagement, education reform, and com­munity development.

His “Back to School” campaigns reignit­ed hope for thousands of young people. Through partnerships with organisations like the Ghana National Petroleum Corpora­tion (GNPC), he oversaw the construction of new classroom blocks and championed the drilling of over 15 mechanised boreholes, bringing clean water to remote communi­ties.

In every action, the Mion Lana embodied a rare fusion of tradition and progress of ancient authority and modern compassion.

The final rites spearheaded by the elders of the Abudu Royal Gate and the Mion Traditional Council are as much a cultural renewal as they are a farewell.

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 GTA official honoured for outstanding support to TOUGHA

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• Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi being honoured

 Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Director in charge of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has been honoured for his ex­ceptional contributions to the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA).

The honour was conferred by Mrs Alisa Osei-Asamoah, the immediate past president of TOUGHA, during a thanksgiving dinner she hosted to mark the end of her four-year leadership of the Union.

Mr Kusi received a citation acknowledging his pivotal role in enhancing TOUGHA’s visibility and fostering strategic partnerships during her tenure.

“Through your expertise and extensive media connections, you have significantly amplified TOUGHA’s visibility and highlight­ed our efforts across the industry. Your strategic media guidance has been instrumental in shaping pos­itive narratives about our work,” the citation read.

It continued, “Beyond media support, your role as Deputy Di­rector of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority has been crucial in strengthening TOUGHA’s collaboration with key institu­tions. Your counsel, professional­ism, and unwavering commitment have been a pillar not only to me personally, but to the entire union.”

Mr Kusi’s professional jour­ney reflects a blend of academic excellence, industry experience, and dedication to national devel­opment.

A proud alumnus of Prempeh College, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Legon, be­fore obtaining a Master of Arts in Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now UNI­MAC-GIJ) in 2020.

He further pursued an MBA in Marketing at the Methodist Uni­versity College Ghana, graduating in 2022. He also holds a Certifi­cate in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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