'MEDEF International' Delegation Explores Concrete Avenues For Investment

A delegation of chief executive officers (CEOs) and top executives of prominent French companies organised by 'MEDEF International' have paid a two-day working visit to Ghana.

The delegation, which was led by Mr Bruno Mettling, Chairman of Orange Africa and Middle East and Chairman of the France-West Africa Business Council of MEDEF, explored concrete investment avenues between the two countries.

Mr Francois Pujolas, the French Ambassador to Ghana said MEDEF International, which was the most representative organisation of the French private sector at international level, considered its relationship with Ghana very important due to the country's political stability and economic weight in the West African sub-region.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Mr Pujolas noted that French companies had already proven that their know-how could answer the country's needs in various fields of expertise.

He said among the 56 French firms based in Ghana, many were taking part in the realisation of projects of national interest in agriculture (Golden Exotics), food industry (Touton), banking (Societe General) and petroleum products distribution (Total).

The French Ambassador said all that proved that the strategy of French companies was a testimony of the confidence they had in Ghana.

He said to that extent it was also important to add that most of them had a strong involvement in sustainable development and corporate social responsibility which covered education, programmes against deforestation, organic food production, social housing, among others.

On his part, Mr Mettling lauded Ghana's credentials as a stable shining democracy in Africa and said there was the need to establish long term partnerships with other Ghanaian companies to mark the strengthening of economic relations between the two countries.

Mr Mettling who is also the Chairman of Orange Africa and Middle East stressed that they were seeking partnership with companies that had the capacity to develop jobs, training as well as technology transfer.

He said many of the French companies joining the delegation in Ghana were representing big international groups, often worldwide leaders in their fields of expertise including Bouygues in construction, Orange in telecommunications and Colas in road and railway infrastructures.

Mr Mettling said on the occasion of the two-day visit, the delegation would meet Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr Ken Ofori Atta, the Minister of Finance; and Mr John Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade and Industry.

MEDEF International is a non-profit private-funded organisation, created in 1989 by MEDEF, the French Business Confederation and is the most representative organisation of the French private sector at an international level and aims at promoting the French companies' know-how abroad through collective actions.

It supports trade, technological cooperation and investments, long-term partnerships, especially on emerging and developing markets as well as reconstruction markets and gathers about 7100 French companies already operating in the world, in 85 Business Councils headed by 55 CEOs of major international French companies.

Many of the French companies joining the delegation in Ghana were representing big international, groups, often worldwide leaders in their fields of expertise (Bouygues in construction, Orange in Telecommunications, Colas in road and railway infrastructures, Thales in electronic security systems, BNP Paribas in banking, Dassault in business planes and Decathlon in distribution).