Ghana and Malaysia explore trade opportunities

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang said Ghana was poised to take advantage of the emerging Afro-Asian solidarity to enhance her resource base.

He said some Asian countries like Malaysia have a lot to exchange with Ghana to boost each other's drive for enhanced trade and investment.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang made these remarks when he received Mr Kamarudin Mustafa, Malaysian High Commissioner, who called on him to express Malaysia's desire to promote economic diplomacy with Ghana.

Ghana and Malaysia did not only share the same pre-Independence economic variables but the two nations also attained Independence almost simultaneously.

However, while the Asian nation's economy became buoyant, Ghana continued to grapple with an ailing economy and has even opted for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative for relief.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang and Mr Mustafa explored areas of economic co-operation between their respective countries with a special focus on processing of cocoa and oil palm for export.

Malaysia produces cocoa and yet imports cocoa from the West Coast of Africa, including Ghana and the Cote d'Ivoire. It processes about 60 per cent of the commodity with Ghana processing only 18 per cent.

The two officials also considered exchanges in areas of appropriate technology and small-scale industries and have unanimously resolved to establish a permanent joint commission to boost bilateral co-operation.

"It is necessary that our two governments make it possible for things to happen," declared Mr Owusu-Agyemang, lauding Malaysia's stability in the past two decades.

Mr Mustafa said a major problem facing the Malaysian business community was how to find "genuine" partners in Ghana and appealed to the government to assist to identify such reliable business partners.

He also proposed the establishment of a viable shipping link between Ghana and Malaysia.

In another development, Mr Owusu-Agyemang also received the United States Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs, Robert Perry and discussed areas where Ghana would need US assistance.