Business News of Friday, 18 April 2008

Source: GNA

GIPC will focus on domestic investors - Ahomka-Lindsay

Accra, April 18, GNA- Domestic investors will not in anyway be sidelined in the quest to attract foreign investors, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC,) assured the business community on Friday. Mr. Robert Ahomka-Lindsay said in spreading the news about how Ghana had become one of the top 10 most attractive investment destinations, the Centre was very much aware about the role and impact of local investors which could not be traded. Mr Ahomka-Lindsay said this at the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) pre-conference meeting underway in Accra. The meeting which focuses on building capacity on investment for WAIPA members precedes this year's World Investment Forum which takes place on Saturday and the UNCTAD XII conference which commences on Sunday in Accra.

Speaking on capitalising on Ghana's top reformer position in the doing business, Mr. Ahomka-Linday said: "In raising awareness of Ghana as a preferred investment destination.it is very important that we don't forget our domestic investor."He said GIPC had created centres and was opening offices in all regions in order to the reach the local businesses and provide them with investment advisory services.

Again, he said, similar offices were being opened in Germany, USA, India, China and other places abroad to promote Ghana to the world. "It is important to promote international networking," he said. Nana Yaa Ofori-Atta, Communications Specialist, International Finance Corporation, said there was the need for investment promotion agencies to develop audience specific messages in the target of investors besides their core objectives.