Over 60 Ghanaians resident in the Netherlands have set up businesses in Ghana with the support of a joint programme instituted by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and IntEnt Foundation, a Dutch overseas entrepreneurial promotion organisation.

The Diaspora Ghanaians have invested their skills and resources to start enterprises that have created employment, and are currently contributing to national development. They established the businesses through a co-operation agreement signed by the GIPC and IntEnt Foundation to develop their entrepreneurial skills and to support them with material assistance.

This came to light when IntEnt Foundation issued a brief statement at the 2005 Ghana Club 100 awards ceremony in Accra last Tuesday. The statement was issued in solidarity with the GIPC's efforts to encourage Ghanaians abroad to invest in the country. In attendance were Bert Spenkelink and Nienke Stam of the IntEnt Foundation. The 2005 Ghana Club 100 awards were held under the theme, "Leveraging the Skills and Resources of the Non-Resident Ghanaians for Development."

IntEnt offers the Ghanaian entrepreneurs services in developing their business ideas into feasible and profitable enterprises in Ghana. "While performing market research, and during and after the start, the Diaspora entrepreneur builds on the support of business advisors, and extensive expertise of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre," the statement said.

It noted that IntEnt and the GIPC are also implementing two additional projects to build and improve entrepreneurial skills and know-how of Ghanaians residing in The Netherlands. The projects are "Match making," which links Dutch and Ghanaian companies, and "Business out of the Box," a programme through which Ghanaian migrants in Holland can invest and appoint a relative or friend living in Ghana to be trained to manage their businesses.

In an address at the awards ceremony, Paul Victor Obeng, Board Chairman of GIPC, stated that plans are far advanced to take proposals to the Governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and Italy for the establishment of similar joint programmes to assist Ghanaians residing those countries.

Mr Obeng said the GIPC is strengthening its Non-Resident Ghanaians secretariat to promote investment from diasporans. He stressed that the centre is seeking ways to help returnees receive entrepreneurial training and material assistance to set up businesses.

"In this vein the centre entered into a co-operation agreement with IntEnt Foundation of The Netherlands to assist NRGs [Non-Resident Ghanaians] who wish to set up businesses either on their own or in partnership with Dutch investors to receive substantial material assistance."