The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Jinapor, yesterday urged foreign investors to take advantage of the progressive fiscal and legislative regime that ensures optimal benefits for investors to invest in Ghana.
“I ask you to be mindful of Ghana’s conducive investment climate, and take advantage of this enabling environment to invest in Ghana,” he said to a large gathering of investors here, in Cape Town.
He was speaking before a panel discussion to present the “Ghana country case study” on Ghana Day: a day set aside specifically for Ghana to state its case before investors brought together at the 2023 Investment in Africa Mining Indaba, in South Africa.
The gathering included representatives of Ghana’s regulatory bodies, ranking members of Parliament and Parliamentarians as well as government officials and representatives of other African countries
The three-day conference is a platform created to offer the investor community and African government officials, the opportunity to interact and identify investment in mining in Africa.
The Lands Minister reminded the investors that Ghana had a very stable democracy, which created the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“We respect the sanctity of contract, and change of government, which is always done through peaceful elections, does not affect contract signed by the government,” he said firmly.
He said with the country’s open society, vibrant economy, resilient democratic institution, and with respect for individual liberties, the rule of law, among others, Ghana was ready for business.
He added that as Ghana hosted the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), investors were assured of the opportunity to use Ghana as a launch-pad to reach the rest of the continent, and to maximise profit from investments.
“If there is any take-away from 2023 Investing in Africa Mining Indaba, it should be a decision to invest in Ghana, a decision you will never regret,” he emphasised
He traced the history of mining in Ghana which he said predated the arrival of the first Europeans that landed in the 15th century.
He recalled that well over 100 years, the mining sector had been the pillar of Ghana’s modern day national economy.
“Today, there are some 16 large scale mining operations in the country, with 14 engaged in gold mining and the other two engaged in bauxite and manganese.
“We also produce diamonds, from artisanal and small scale mining,” he said.
The Lands Minister also enumerated other proven deposits of lithium, nickel, iron ore, zinc. chromium, copper, cobalt, lead, columbite and tantalite, as well as industrial minerals, such as clay, feldspar, limestone, salt, granite, silica sand and kaolin.
He went further to point out that Ghana also had the raw materials for the production of activated carbon, which is used in gold production and emphasised that there was enormous opportunities for investment in mine support services.
After his address, officials from various sectors of the Ghanaian mining industry elaborated on the opportunities that existed in the mining sector of the country.
At the end of their presentations the audience gave a resounding round of applause, an indication that Ghana had presented a good case for investment.
FROM DAVE AGBENU, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
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