The UK government has reiterated its commitment as a trading partner to Ghana even after exiting the European Union.

According to the UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, Lord Tariq Ahmed, Ghana’s trade volumes to Britain stands at about 1.13 billion pounds making it one of Britain’s largest trading partners.

Lord Tariq Ahmad has also commended Ghana for its political stability particularly in organizing successful elections and its peaceful transition of power.

According to him, the UK government was particularly pleased with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s resolve to direct the country away from “aids and handouts”.

Lord Ahmad has expressed his support and delight in the vision of the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the government to uplift the socio-economic status of the country.

He is convinced of the government’s competence in achieving this aim saying “aid should be an enabler” and not an end in itself. “I have absolute confidence in the new administration and the British government is ever prepared to support the Ghana government to succeed,” Lord Ahmad, who was recently in Ghana for a short visit stated.

“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, upon assumption of office, promised ‘to build a Ghana beyond aid; a Ghana which looks to the use of its own resources. We want to build an economy that is not dependent on charity and handouts but an economy that will look at the proper management of its resources as the way to engineer social and economic growth in our country,” Lord Ahmad reiterated.

He stressed on the need for government to consider a national airline in order to attract needed investments for the sector, noting that Ghana had a great potential to become an aviation hub.

Lord Ahmad hinted the UK’s readiness to host the next Commonwealth summit scheduled for London and Windsor in April 2018.

Issues to be discussed at the conference include sustainability, prosperity, fairness and security to re-energize and revitalise the alliance of nations.