General News of Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Source: GNA

Germany to help Ghana harvest solar and wind power

From: Nathaniel Glover-Meni, GNA Special Correspondent, Courtesy IIJ/InWEnt

Berlin, March 11, GNA - There is a growing interest by some German companies to invest in solar and wind power in Ghana to bolster the country's energy requirements.

Ghana's Ambassador to Germany, Mr Grant Ohemeng Kesse, said the government was working through the Ghanaian-German Business Association to bring the proposals to fruition. Mr Kesse was speaking to Ghanaian Financial Journalists in Berlin on Monday on efforts being made by his Mission to attract Germany businessmen to invest in Ghana.

She said many German investors had expressed interest in the energy sector with emphasis on producing alternate power supplies such as solar and wind power generators at cheap cost. He said the government was making efforts to facilitate the proposed investments as a means of generating employment and cutting down cost since importing such technology from overseas would be expensive.

Mr Kesse said because of Ghana's political and economic stability, many European companies were willing to do business, which had been buoyed by the enactment of the avoidance of double taxation law that was a hindrance in the past.

Responding to concerns as to how Ghana could scale up its trade with Germany with regards to export of fruits, Mr Kesse said packaging remained a challenge, which the Mission, in conjunction with the government, had been trying to resolve by organizing courses for importers. The critical problem however remained with meeting the demand volumes as exporters often failed to meet the target of their German buyers, he added.