Accra, June 14, GNA - The Ghana Investment Promotions Centre (GIPC), on Tuesday launched the 2011 edition of its flagship seminar 93Invest in Ghana" and the 2010 edition of Ghana Club 100 awards.

The seminar, to be held on the theme: "The Role of Local Investor in National Development", is scheduled for September 14-15, the climax of which would be the Club 100 awards.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Mr George Aboagye, said the event would provide opportunity for investors to explore public private partnerships and facilitate business partnerships which support the country's economic growth.

He said the event would also address how the Ghanaian private sector could work with their foreign counterparts to ensure sustained levels of growth in the economy.

"Partnering domestic investments with FDI, we believe is one of the major interventions by which we can build the capacity and grow our domestic investors," Mr Aboagye said.

He said to enhance the ability of domestic investors, the centre embarked on regional tours throughout the country during the first quarter of the year, to interact with regional, metropolitan, municipal, and district authorities, planning officers and the private sector.

Mr Aboagye said: 93We explained to them the role of GIPC in assisting them to identify and package viable investment projects for promotion and marketing purposes", adding that the interactions would enhance the ability of domestic investors to develop and invest in good business ideas and encourage local financial institutions to support worthy projects.

He said the seminar would feature three parallel sessions on agriculture and agribusiness, energy, oil and gas, tourism, infrastructure, financial services and Information and Communication Technology in industry.

Mr Aboagye asked companies, which would want to participate in the awards scheme, to submit audited accounts for three years beginning from 2008.

Eligible companies would be ranked by size (25 per cent), profitability (35 per cent) and growth (40 per cent).

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Kwesi Ahwoi, said government was pursuing vigorously its local content policy to ensure rapid growth of the economy.