Ghanaian business executives were on Friday urged to explore investment opportunities in France through the free services offered by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Delegates Programme in Paris.

The French government has provided about 30,000 dollars, through the programme, for the sponsorship of a Ghanaian delegate, Dr Peter Ankrah, to serve as a focal point in France for Ghanaian business executives seeking business opportunities with French companies or institutions or vice versa.

This was announced at a news conference in Accra, jointly addressed by Dr Ankrah, assigned by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, and Mrs Cecile Carlier, Industrial Counsellor for Africa at the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office Paris.

"The programme is to strengthen the bond of friendship and economic relationship between Ghana and France and to promote industrial partnership projects and technology transfer between the two countries," Dr Ankrah said.

To achieve this, Dr Ankrah, who has been in France since March, said he had been providing information on the general economic situation, investment opportunities and incentives, laws and regulations on Ghana through the media and the Internet.

He has also in collaboration with the Ghana-France Chamber of Commerce and the Ghana Embassy, organised workshops, seminars, missions, exhibitions and fairs for both Ghanaian and French business people.

Dr Ankrah said 15 Ghanaian businesses were initially selected for promotion, but following a UNIDO sponsored study, 30 businesses, mainly in agro-industrial and fish processing sector have been recently included.

"Opportunities exist for all kinds of businesses but there is preference for agro-industrial projects," he said.

Dr Ankrah identified lack of business plans, business profiles,

feasibility reports and reliable contact addresses as the main constraints of the Ghanaian businesses.

"Most of those we have dealt with are eager to improve their businesses and have laudable ideas, but they do not have basic business plans or profiles describing their objectives, vision and turn over. Also, some addresses they gave for follow up could not be located."

He stressed the importance of the image-building promotion, saying that, little was known in France about Ghana as compared to the Franco-phone West African countries.

He urged interested persons to contact the schedule officer, Mr E. Ashong Lartey, at the GIPC for assistance.

Mrs Carlier said though language was a barrier, there were positive indications that fruitful partnerships would be formed.

"The new generation of French have working knowledge of English, and unlike the older one, is eager to venture into international business," she said.

Mrs Carlier urged the government to find money to sustain the programme after the nine-month UNIDO sponsorship.

"UNIDO will do its best to hold up the programme because such activities should be long-term to yield results, but Ghana should try, like other countries on the programme, to sponsor her delegates," she said.

Mrs Carlier is in Ghana to meet investment promotion agencies, private sector associations and companies to sensitise them to take advantage of the Programme.

She will also hold discussions with companies being promoted and mobilise Ghanaian companies to participate in exhibitions and fairs in France.