This meeting in Kumasi, a first of many across Ghana, will be co-chaired by the British High Commissioner to Ghana H.E. Iain Walker and the Honourable Osei Assibey Antwi, the Mayor of Kumasi. The UK and Ghana government both recognise the importance of regional perspectives from around Ghana including the Ashanti region to feed into the work of the wider UK-Ghana Business Council.
The forum will prioritise infrastructure, agriculture/agro-processing and industrialisation and explore opportunities in these sectors for the UK to do more in Kumasi and the Ashanti region.
The UK has already made a significant impact in the Ashanti region, most recently the modernisation and expansion of Kumasi Market, the expansion of Kumasi airport and construction of Bekwai Hospital - all supported by £130 million worth of UK Export Finance.
During the two-day visit to Kumasi, the British High Commissioner will pay a courtesy call on His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace to discuss the outcomes of the UKGBC Regional Forum and to identify areas of further collaboration.
The High Commissioner and his delegation will visit Guinness Ghana, a long-term UK investor and a leading employer in Kumasi, which is using more Ghanaian raw materials in its manufacturing lines.
Speaking ahead of the regional forum, the British High Commissioner to Ghana His Excellency Iain Walker said:
I am delighted to co-host the first UKGBC Regional Forum alongside the Mayor of Kumasi. It is exciting to know that less than a year since the launch of the UK-Ghana Business Council with His Excellency Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, we are taking practical steps to expand our engagement from government-to-government, to the regional and municipal level. Kumasi is often referred to as Ghana's second city. My goal is to support its ambition to become a leading industrial hub in the region and to ensure that the historic Anglo-Ashanti relationship is delivering prosperity within the region for generations to come".
The Mayor of Kumasi Honourable Osei Assiby Antwi said:
Hosting the first UK-Ghana Business Council regional Forum in Kumasi is an excellent opportunity for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. The city of Kumasi and its adjoining municipalities are endowed with numerous viable investment opportunities. The Assembly, thus, sees this forum as a platform to project its potential investment avenues to woo prospective investors from the international community to invest and partner the city to develop "Ghana Beyond Aid".
