Ghana: Press spotlights $10bn recorded in Ghana’s trade with China in 2022, others
APA – Accra (Ghana)
The report that the volume of trade between Ghana and China reached a record high of $10 billion last year is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Friday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the volume of trade between Ghana and China reached a record high of $10 billion last year, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Lu Kun, has announced.
At the celebration of the 74th national day of China in Accra on Tuesday, she said Ghana’s export to China surged by 60 per cent within the same period.
With this year making 63 years of bilateral relations between the two countries, he said China remained Ghana’s largest trading partner and major foreign investment source for years.
The celebration brought together Chinese officials and people as well as high ranking Ghanaian officials to celebrate the founding of the Asian country.
Mr Lu mentioned other Chinese investment in Ghana to include Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited Company, African World Airlines, steel company, ceramic company, cement factory, through which China had helped to create jobs and boosted industrialisation for Ghana.
He said last month, the Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd, invested by a Chinese private company began operation, becoming the single largest investment in Ghana over the last decade.
The newspaper says that the government has stated that it has secured GH¢3.9 billion in the reopened Domestic Debt Exchange Programme ((DDEP).
The Ministry of Finance in a statement issued on Tuesday said, “This represents a significant achievement for the government, which is seeking to fully implement its COVID-19 programme for economic growth in the face of the prevailing economic situation.”
The statement added that no new tenders would be accepted, and no revocations or withdrawals would be permitted.
“The government deeply expresses its appreciation to bondholders and key stakeholders for their immense support of the DDEP, the results of which constitute a significant achievement for the government to implement fully the economic strategies in the post-COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG) during this current economic crisis,” the statement said.
The domestic debt exchange programme is part of the government’s efforts to reduce its debt burden and improve its debt sustainability.
The programme has been met with some resistance from some bondholders, but the government has argued that it is necessary to ensure the long-term health of the economy
The Graphic reports that Ghana has been added to South Africa E-Visa list.
In a statement dated Thursday, September 28, 2023, the South African High Commission explained that by adding Ghana to the E Visa list, Ghanaian nationals “can apply online for visas to South Africa without visiting the High Commission.”
The High Commission also urged all Ghanaians who wish to apply for visas to visit www.dha.gov.za to obtain the needed information.
The statement further indicated that “normal requirements such as passport details, letter of invitation/proof of accommodation and a bank statement would be verified on arrival at the point of entry.”
The South African High Commission also urged individuals whose passports have been at the High Commission for more than three months to go for them at the VFS Global Offices.
The newspaper says that the government is working on a policy framework to move public transportation from a dependence on petroleum fuels to electric vehicles, Vice President Bawumia has disclosed.
“Where I want to see us go in the next few years is to move public transport completely from dependence on petrol and diesel to fully electric vehicles. That is really where Ghana ought to go. And it is doable. We ought to move away from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles as a matter of policy,” Dr Bawumia stated on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, when he visited the offices and assembly plant of Solar Taxi, a wholly Ghanaian start-up engaged in the assembly and manufacture of electric cars, motorcycles, buses and battery packs for electric cars.
Among the top three Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing companies in Africa, Solar Taxi, founded in 2019, with a staff strength of 113 (90% of whom are women) and an average age of 26, can also convert petrol or diesel-powered vehicles into electricity powered ones, with the technology to convert cars and buses also available, according to Jorge Appiah, CEO and Co-Founder.
Solar Taxi has assembled over 460 vehicles and sold over 500 vehicles, with orders for vehicles, battery packs and training in the maintenance of EVs coming from all over the continent.
Solar Taxi also operates a ride-hailing service, as well as a motorcycle leasing and vehicle sales model anchored on the Ghana Card. Through its bankers, the company provides financing options for its motorcycles, cars and buses, to be paid for overtime, without collateral. All they require is a Ghanacard ID
Mr Appiah disclosed this while riding in one of the company’s EV buses, which can travel from Accra to Kumasi without the need for a recharge of the batteries, with Vice President Bawumia and the heads of STC, Metro Mass, Aayalolo, as well as officials of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Road Safety Commission.
“The whole issue of climate change, energy transition and moving away from dependence on fossil fuels to more green energy is very important for us because as you know, we spend a lot on fossil fuel. But the other thing that is very, very important for Ghanaian households and individuals is the high cost of transportation.
GIK/APA
Ghana: Press spotlights $10bn recorded in Ghana’s trade with China in 2022, others
