By
Stephen Asante, GNA, Courtesy Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of
China
Chengdu (China), Sept. 17, GNA – The Sichuan
Province in China, has stated its readiness to engage regions in Ghana in
sister-city relations.
“We share similar socio-economic and
cultural aspirations with the people of Ghana.
“It will be appropriate, therefore, to
take advantage of our long-standing partnership to share development
experiences and also explore business opportunities for the mutual benefit of
the two countries,” Mr. Chen Weide, Director of the Information Office of
the Provincial Government, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Chengdu, China.
This was at a dinner organised by the
Provincial Government for some visiting Ghanaian media practitioners at
Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan.
The visit was facilitated by the Ministry of
Information and China International Publishing Group (CIPG) Training Centre.
It was in line with an on-site teaching
programme to keep the media practitioners abreast with the administrative
set-up, governance system, development trends and potentials of the Province.
Sichuan has a population of over 80 million,
and is one of the major agricultural bases of China, contributing significantly
to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of China.
Grains, including rice and wheat, are the
major produces. Other commercial crops produce from this area are citrus, sugar
cane, sweet potatoes, peaches and grapes.
Some important heavy industries ranging from
coal, energy, iron to steel, as well as light industrial sector for wood, food
and silk processing are found in the area.
Mr. Weide told the GNA that the Province’s
nominal GDP for 2017 was 3.69 trillion yuan an equivalent of 53.9 billion US
dollars, adding that, due to the area’s growing economic importance to China,
the Central Government had stepped up infrastructural development of the area.
He observed that with its high technological
advancement, the Provincial Government was ready to assist Ghana in the area of
technology transfer.
“We know Ghana’s economy is agro-based,
and this is one area the two countries can take advantage of, especially using
scientific innovations to boost best agricultural practices for increased
productivity,” Mr Weide said.
Ghana ranks second to Nigeria in yam
production on the African continent, and also has in abundance fertile
landscapes for other roots and tuber, as well as vegetable and grain
production.
However, the country has consistently failed
to reach its optimal agro-production level due to varied factors, including
inadequate infrastructure, post-harvest losses, use of obsolete farming
implements and lack of technical know-how in farming activities.
Mr. Kofi Ohene Benning, Acting Director
in-charge of Human Resource at the Ministry of Information, who led the media
team, said it was imperative that Ghana maximized investment in infrastructure,
particularly in tourist sites to enhance domestic and international tourism.
He was of the view that the country had many
interesting and historical landscapes and monuments, water bodies, including
Lake Bosomtwe, a UNESCO-designated world heritage site, as well as castles and
forts, and other museums of which the country could develop for economic
growth.
Sichuan’s beautiful landscapes,
well-structured traditional architectural planning and rich historical relics
has also made the Province a major centre for tourism.
GNA