Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), the Japanese institution charged with consolidating Japan's efforts in export and investment promotion has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Ghana to establish an office in Ghana.

With Ghana playing host to the largest number of Japanese businesses in West Africa, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JETRO, Mr Nobuhiko Sasaki, stated that the establishment of the office “will surely lead to the furtherance of the promotion of Japanese businesses in Ghana”.

At the signing ceremony in Yokohama, on Thursday, 29th August 2019, on the sidelines of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, Chairman Sasaki indicated that in order to drive more Japanese companies into Ghana, “we would like to launch the office sometime in March next year.”

He was confident that with the establishment of the office, “more than we have before, we will be able to continue to build on the number of Japanese businesses operating in Ghana”.

President Akufo-Addo, in his remarks, expressed his delight at the signing of the MoU with JETRO, and its subsequent decision to set up shop in Ghana.

“We are very interested in deepening economic relations between Ghana and Japan, and to that extent, we have spent the last two years trying to improve the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy so that we will be in a better position to attract investments and interests from Japanese companies,” he said.

Ghana’s macroeconomic indices, according to President Akufo-Addo, “are in a better position than they were 2 years ago when I took over. I think that, right now, things are looking very positive for the future of Ghana’s economy. To have an organisation like yours coming to Accra, and opening up the possibility of wide access to Japanese business, is very encouraging.”

The President applauded JETRO for the support it has extended to owners of shea nut businesses in Northern Ghana.

“They have also received the benefit of packaging advice, and it is an aspect of business in Ghana that we are very keen on encouraging. We have great expectations that the establishment of the office in Ghana is going to give us more and more access to Japanese support,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo was also grateful for JETRO’s support to Ghanaian businesses, which enabled them to participate in the trade fair here in Japan in March this year.

“We had a fairly broad range of Ghanaian products here on the show. All of this means that we are looking forward to the collaboration, and seeing the opening of this office is a sign also that Japan is looking forward to greater and greater involvement in our country,” the President added.