‘Ghana Lacks Capacity To Deal With China’ – Lawyer

A lawyer and Senior Partner at AB & David Law affiliates, David Ofosu-Dortey, has said that Ghana's seeming fixation with China as the most preferred trade partner is based on the country's lack of strategy.

According to him, Ghana has for a very long time engaged trade partners like China without a detailed strategy, hence the country often appears to be disadvantaged in the signing of deals with them.

Speaking on Citi TV's Point of View on Monday, he said added to Ghana's challenge of lack of strategy in international trade is the country's lack of capacity to undertake its own infrastructural development.

“It is a general issue of our lack of strategy all the time…. I don't think there is any fixation with anybody about the Chinese. It is about capacity to deliver and when you don't have a strategy and the lack of strategy backed by capacity you face these things,” he said.

Some citizens have expressed concerns over Ghana's apparent reinvigorated relationship with China .

President Akufo-Addo last week embarked on a state visit to China which among other things saw Ghana sign eight MoUs and agreements with China.

The agreements signed are the “One belt one road Memorandum of Understanding, Memorandum on Regional Aviation Co-operation Agreement for Co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and Co-operation to carry out Maternal and Child Health Project.”

The rest are “Framework Agreement on Financing Insurance Co-operation ($2 billion Sino-Hydro deal), Economic co-operation on Phase 2 project of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Co-operation on the expansion of the Cape Coast Stadium, and Co-operation on the supply of police vehicles to the Ghana Police Service.”

But some have said that China stands to gain more from the deal than Ghana.

David Ofosu-Dortey however said Ghana has the opportunity to begin putting the right strategies in place to be in the position to ensure its own independent development.

“What has to happen now is the realization that we need to put the right strategies in place to ensure that we capitalize on this opportunity, otherwise we will continue complaining.”

He has also blamed the lax application of the country's laws on the concerns of abuse by foreigners including Chinese in the country.

“The UK's Henkling nuclear plant is being built by the Chinese. The Chinese are not only investing in Ghana…We close our eyes to the law. This galamsey business, at some point Chinese miners were deported. The way we apply our laws allow foreigners to abuse the system. Is there any country in the world where they can destroy our water bodies like they've done here?,” he quizzed.