Politics of Thursday, 6 September 2012

Source: GNA

Vice President Amissah-Arthur sets conditions for success of Better Ghana

Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday set two conditions for the successful creation of Better Ghana and said it was time to stop the sector approach to finding solutions to national challenges

He said: “First we need to engender among Ghanaians the love and loyalty towards their homeland…

“Second as we develop Brand Ghana mindset and manifest Brand Ghana behaviour we also need to position our country Ghana, her people, her brands and products internationally for enhanced investment, tourism, export, attraction of global events, attraction of international students and improvement of our country’s reputation generally.”

The Vice President set the conditions, in a speech read for him by Ms Akua Sena Dansoa, Minister for Tourism, at the New Ghana Stakeholders Forum 2012, in Accra.

The Forum was to consider a holistic approach by collaborating organisations and experts to issues in the branding of Ghana as corporate entity, with distinctive national brands of economic, social and political products.

Late President John Evans Atta Mills established the Brand Ghana Office in September 2009, and in July 2012, President John Mahama, launched Brand Ghana Programme, that set in motion the delivery phase of the Brand Ghana Programme.

The Brand Ghana Office was set up to reinforce the nation’s ability to evolve a universally accepted country brand vision and purposeful behaviour to compete more favourably for the world’s consumers, tourists, investors, students, entrepreneurs, international sporting and cultural events.

Brand Ghana Office is to facilitate purposeful attention and respect of international media, the people and governments of other countries by working with and through stakeholder institutions involved with various aspects of national regulation.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the collective conduct of Ghanaians as a people must be promotional to the nation, pointing out that there was the need to give more respect to one another rights, hard works and constant search of innovations and results that had enduring benefits.

“Therefore we need an appropriate mental model and behavioural guide framework that will bind us together as a people and inspire and empower us to creative, resourceful and ingenuous pursuits. In sum, we need to be truly welcoming,” the Vice President said.

He called for a united approach to the realization of the programme with an assurance of Government’s support for success.

The forum is being held on the theme “Enhancing Ghana’s Competitiveness, Together!”

Syndicated groups would discuss The True Ghanaian Orientation, the Ghana Cocoa Branding Initiative, Brands of Ghana Promotion, The Power of National Events; Ghana First at Election 2012, International and Domestic TV Commercials Review.

About 100 individuals and corporate stakeholders in both the private and public sectors are attending the forum.