The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Michael Okyere Baafi, has revealed that Ghana Free Zones Board has invested more than $30 billion dollars in Ghana’s economy since its inception.
According to him, the organization and its members across the country need to invest more in the economy to provide jobs for the teeming youth in the country.
The GFZB was established on 31st August, 1995 by an Act of Parliament to enable the establishment of free zones in Ghana for the promotion of economic development, to provide for the regulation of activities in free zones and for related purposes.
Speaking on Accra 100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom on Wednesday, August 30, Mr Baafi said: “Over the years we have contributed more than $ 30 billion right from the inception till now. We bring the money in the economy to make it stronger.
“Apart from this there are several people who have gotten jobs to do. The free zones companies have provided more than 500,000 jobs from the inception till now, this is so phenomenal.
“There are a lot of free zones companies in Tema which have employed several people, some on casual basis and others on permanent employment, part time and indirect workers. And so the Free Zones Board has contributed a lot.”
He added: “I believe that we should not always look for foreigners to come and take control of foreign businesses in Ghana. When foreigners come to open businesses in Ghana, we should be able to have local people whose capacity would have been built, their financial muscles have become big so they can take over big businesses; that is the kind of arrangement want to build.
“We want to produce local billionaires – people who have the capacity to acquire big investments. It appears Ghanaians don’t have the capacity to engage in big businesses. When we are building a nation we should be able to have people who have the financial muscles to take up big ventures, and that is what Nigeria is doing and that is why they are doing so well with their economy.
“Most of the private people there have fat muscles and that is what we want to produce in Ghana. We want the local investors to benefit from the Free Zones and grow their businesses.”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
