Yesterday in far-away South Africa, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Jinapor, appealed to foreign investors to take advantage of the progressive fiscal and legislative regime in Ghana, which is a mark of its conducive investment climate, and invest here. (See our lead story)
Speaking at the 2023 Investment in Africa Mining Indaba in South Africa, the minister made allusion to the fact that Ghanaians have come to uphold democratic tenets, explaining, for example, that the people respect the sanctity of contracts and change of government through peaceful elections.
Thus, investments are not affected by change of political administrations.
This means that, as the minister himself said, there is the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country, particularly against the background that Ghana is an open society with a vibrant economy and resilient democratic institutions and a place where respect exists for individual liberties, the rule of law and other democratic tenets.
Honestly, it is for some of these reasons why the country beat off competition from Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar and Senegal at the 12th AU Extraordinary Summit held in Niamey in July 2019 to win the bid host the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
We think the minister and others like him who promote the country at the least opportunity deserve commendation.
It is about time all Ghanaians, particularly those with clout, use any opportunity they get to woo investors into the country.
As things stand now, we need foreigners and also capable Ghanaians to invest in the country to boost its economic strength, which is currently at a low ebb.
The minister has told the investor community about the serene economic environment in the country. What is most important now is the readiness of the people to prove the minister right.
By this, we mean that all Ghanaians must show positive attitudes when they are given the opportunity by investors by way of job offerings to support the investors.
Talks of some Ghanaian bad lots indulging in thievery and misappropriation of funds at the workplace are an open secret.
The State has to take stringent measures towards killing these negative practices in the economic sector, including also bribery and corruption.
In fact, but for these negative practices, the country would have produced its own countless economic giants who could easily come to its aid in all the sectors of the economy.
The State should protect investments by, for example, having special courts which should have their own judges, not like the current situation where some judges are given additional responsibility to adjudicate in commercial cases.
There should be that situation where such cases are tried speedily after thorough investigation though, to send the signal that those guilty of such crimes would have no space and the peace to enjoy their booty.
And this should apply to sole proprietors too, as some of these business people become helpless when they are hoodwinked by others they bring in to support their business.
The country badly needs investment, both foreign and local, to grow but that will be a mirage if the State fails to kill all negate attitudes in its business environment.
