Ghana has applauded France for its continued technical and economic support in the areas of defense, agriculture, health and education, energy and public sector reforms.

Mrs. Cynthia Morrison, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, said it was also heart-warming that French businesses in the country had kept growing.

French companies, operating in Ghana have shot up to 65 from 42 within the last three years.

Among them are SCOA (services), CFAO (automobile), Total (energy), SG-SSB (banking) and UMARCO (shipping).

The Minister expressed confidence that the presence of these companies would go a long way to help achieve the government’s goals of economic transformation and job creation.

Mrs. Morrison said this when she led a delegation to join in the commemoration of French National Day in Accra.

The French National Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille on 14th July 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution as well the F?te de la Fédération, which celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790.

The Minister said measures implemented by the government, were leading Ghana and its economy into the new digital age, formalizing the economy, reducing the cost of doing business, and facilitating interaction between businesses and their clients, particularly in a technology-driven era.

“The implementation of these measures and the strengthening of our macro economy have meant that Ghana is, today, the leading recipient of foreign direct investment in West Africa”, she added.

Mrs. Morrison underlined the resolve to move the country away from dependence on the export of raw materials to value addition, adding that, Ghana’s utmost desire was to export value added goods as it charted a new course towards industrialization.

She praised the strong ties between Ghana and France and said this was based on their shared views on many global issues.

She cited climate change, where France had been playing a leading role in the world and said Ghana was making impressive strides - considered as a leading country in Africa as far as the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was concerned.

Madam Anne Sophie Avè, the French Ambassador to Ghana, said the budding bilateral relationship between Ghana and France had been further strengthened on all fronts including political and economic relations.

She made reference to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s, just ended four-day official visit to France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron and said this was an indication of the willingness to prioritize the best courses of action.

That, she added, was vital for tackling regional and global issues, and to put the nation’s development on a more sustainable path.