He said there was no doubt that the World Bank had indicated that Ghana’s economy this year would grow  by 8.5 per cent an indication to all investors that there was economic stability in Ghana.

Mr Lindsay was speaking at the Ghana Business and Investment Forum, a side event organised at the just ended 2018 Ninth Session of the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum (WUF9) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the theme: “Ghana’s Industrialisation Programme: Opportunities and Transformation Partners in Trade and Industry.”

It was organised by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Partnership with the Ghana Free Zones Board and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre in partnership with the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.

The WUF9 is on the theme: “Cities 2030, Cities for All: Implementing the New Urban Agenda” and focused on the New Urban Agenda as a tool and accelerator for achieving Agenda 2030 and the SDGs

It was the key platform to discuss the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the urban dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and was one of the most open gatherings in the international arena.

The WUF9 mobilises urban actors in national governments, sub-national and local governments, civil society, private sector and academia to share knowledge and solutions for sustainable urban development; facilitate stakeholders’ inputs to monitoring and reporting on the New Urban Agenda and facilitate strong multi-stakeholder partnerships.

The New Urban Agenda was adopted in October 2016 at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador and was a result of a unique consensus among all participating states.

He said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government had created a conducive and an enabling environment for investment and business to thrive and therefore encouraged all around the Globe to do business in Ghana.

Mr Lindsay said the number one priority of government was industrialisation and that every ministry in the current government was gearing towards an industrialised sector.

He said Ghana would add value to its raw materials and that there was a new convention in the country to link everything with industrialiation.

Nana Dr Appiagyei Dankawoso I, President of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry said there was the need for government to create credit opportunities for the private sector to do business, especially agro-business.

The situation on the ground to access credit facilities in the country, he said had been softened for the business community and that the financial muscles of the companies were strengthened day-by-day.

Mr Hilary Patric Narcis, a Malaysian Participant said, doing business in Ghana was encouraging as he had been to Ghana on two occasions to explore the opportunities, adding, that, “for some time now, Ghana’s import taxes had been reduced”.

The New Urban Agenda lays out the vision for future cities based on the science of urban development providing tools in crucial areas.

The WUF was created in 2002 to bring countries together to discuss issues that were critical to the management of urban areas through a sustainable urban development and cities.

It is the world’s premier conference on urban issues, established in 2001 by the United Nations.

By Amadu Kamil Sanah, GNA Special Correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia