Dubai Expo 2020 A Platform To Attract Investors - Trade Minister

Mr Carlos Ahenkrah, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, has said that the Dubai Expo 2020, would be an exceptional platform for Ghana to attract investors from all over the world to explore its abundant investment opportunities.

He said the Expo, would also help the country showcase the potential investment opportunities in critical sectors of the economy for sustainable economic growth and job creation.

Mr Ahenkrah, speaking at the official launch of the Dubai Expo 2020 in Accra, on the theme, 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', said Ghana's participation was intended to underscore the government's commitment to attracting foreign direct investment.

He said Ghana will be participating in the Expo under the theme, 'Ghana: Limitless Opportunities', confirming the numerous opportunities that abounded in all sectors of the economy, adding that, 'including not limited to trade and investment, tourism, energy, education, agriculture/agro-processing, road and rail, air, water and sanitation, and arts'.

Mr Ahenkrah said the objective of the Expo, was to link visitors and participants for the exchange of knowledge and experiences, diversity of thoughts and innovation in the development and presentation of solutions to the main challenges facing modern society.

He stated that the Dubai Expo 2020 had a broad theme with three notable sub-themes of; 'Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity, adding that; 'the choice of the theme is based on today's highly interconnected world, a renewed vision of progress and development based on shared purpose and commitment'.

The Tema West Member of Parliament, said Dubai, as the hosts for this impending Expo, was known for its luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, lively nightlife scene, and it also boasted a whopping 105.9 Billion US Dollars, as its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which grew by 2.6 per cent in 2018.

He said in addition to that, Dubai had the world's 10th busiest city airport system by passenger traffic annually, and was the financial centre of the United Arab Emirates, a high income city which depended on oil reserves, wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, industry and tourism.

Mr Ahenkrah said Ghana's participation in the Expo, would give it another opportunity to strengthen the existing cordial political and socio-economic ties between Ghana and Dubai as well as other participating countries.

The Deputy Trade Minister urged Ghanaian private institutions and individual entities to take full advantages of the 100 million US Dollars grant set up by organizers of the Dubai Expo to help prepare and encourage socially friendly organizations to participate in the Expo.

Mr Ahenkrah, appointed Ghana's Commissioner General for the Expo to lead a National Planning Committee set up on July, 4, to make Ghana ready for the Exposition, charged the Committee to better Ghana's record of being the only African country to win an award (Silver Award) in the last Expo held in Astana.

The Dubai Expo which comes off from 20th October, 2020 to 10th April, 2021, will see 150 countries, and over 25 million people showcase their innovations, works, and ideas to a world audience.

GNA
By Kojo Adams/William Fiabu, GNA