The goal is to reduce the burden of time-consuming litigations, financial and reputational risks associated with land disputes, allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) businesses to operate with greater certainty in the country and create jobs.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare, a Lawyer and ADR practitioner, said this when she visited B5 Plus Group, a leading steel and iron manufacturing company, Dawa Industrial Zone, and industrial park and Bright International Free Zone, over the weekend.
She made the pledge following concerns raised by the FDI companies on land litigations.
Other issues raised by the companies included exemptions on custom duties and Value Added Tax (VAT) on machinery, equipment, and raw materials, and import tariffs on things that could be produced sufficiently in the country.
“In respect of the land litigation, I will solve them with ADR, which is faster, more convenient, and less time-consuming. I’ve spoken to the National Security Coordinator, and a week from today, a meeting will happen, and I’m sure the ADR way of resolving the land matter will be done successfully,” she said.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare also said she would work closely with the Minister of Finance and related ministries to stabilise the economy to enable FDI companies to thrive and create decent jobs for Ghanaians.
She lauded the companies for prioritising the safety of its workers, adding that: “As much as I’m looking for a job for people, I want them to work in dignity, in safety, and in comfort.”
Regarding the importation and smuggling of inferior products into the country, the sector minister pledged to relevant authorities, including the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to tackle them.
“We want imports, but not cheap imports. We don’t also want smuggling, so we will work mostly with the Minister of Finance, GRA, to ensure that all these things are resolved,” she said.
Mr Richard Kwame Frimpong, the Managing Director (MD) of Dawa Industrial Zone, committed to building the needed infrastructure for businesses to make government’s industrialisation agenda feasible through special economic zones.
Mr Wilson Wu, General Manager, Greenhouse International Development Ghana Ltd, stated that though Ghana depended more on imports, with the right framework and support to industries, it could achieve export and foreign exchange reserves.
He pledged to attract more investors to into the country to make their contributions towards creating jobs, training skilled workers to rake in tax revenue for the government and shift the economy into one that produced more.
GNA
