Baroness Kate Pays Courtesy Call On Otumfuo

British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ghana, Baroness Kate has paid a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The Trade Envoy led by the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson at the Manhyia Palace revealed her plans to create a lasting Ghana-Britain relationship in terms of trade issues.

“When I was asked by the Prime Minister to become the trade envoy to Ghana, I was pleased to accept. What I want to see is trade between the two countries promoted even more and particularly I look forward to bring the friendship which has been long-lasting between Britain and Ghana”.

Another purpose of the visit was to find out Otumfuo’s priority in terms of development in the Ashanti Region.

On his side, His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II called for partnerships that will increase the capability to add value to agricultural products where a KNUST-Magazine collaboration was encouraged.

“I’m still looking at partnerships where we can link KNUST to the Magazines, the artisans over there; we have this artisan group here that is a full industrial pack itself. What they need is the touch to add value. They know the technology but to add the education bit to it after having studied the manual and then they can have training with the technology, digitization that collaboration can also come in in engineering.”

In the sector of unemployment and industrialization, Otumfuo relayed that collaborations could be initiated so as to improve the lives of Ghanaians and at the same time strengthen the trade bond between Ghana and Britain.

“Some of our young people are coming out unemployed and government alone cannot employ them so the private sector should be the avenue for employment and technology transfer.”

“We can use UK’s export finance to do the circular road we have here, it helps us with the traffic that comes through Kumasi and it saves us with infrastructure.

“Most of the factories that were establishing now were importing the equipment from china, so can we set up funding so that we can bring in the equipment for the industries that were trying to set up here. Equipment from Britain was durable so if Britain is not producing the equipment we still will need support in financing the arrangements for the industries.”

He however commended them for their assistance in the establishment of the Airport, Komfo Anokye Hospital Maternity Block, 100-kilometer road projects.

“The airport, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, 100-kilometer road, Maternity block, market these manifest the collaboration between Ghana and Kumasi and the UK.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday, 23 August 2021 appointed 10 Trade Envoys across the world, including the new Trade Envoy to Ghana, Baroness Kate Hoey.

The appointment comes to strengthen the UK-Ghana trade and drive the mutually prosperous partnership.

Source: Opemsuo.com/Monica M. Appiah-Manu