The United Kingdom (UK) government is encouraging Ghanaian businesses to view the UK as a strategic hub for trade partnerships that can drive mutual economic growth.
According to the UK government, the UK remains committed to supporting Ghana’s development ambitions, including its 24-hour economy agenda, through stronger commercial collaborations.
Speaking to the media after the UK–Ghana Trade and Investment Forum in Accra, the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa, John Humphrey, emphasised that Ghana enjoys privileged access to the UK market and should leverage this advantage.
“We talked about the Government of Ghana’s initiative, but the UK government also has a long-standing trade partnership agreement with Ghana, and we’re celebrating its fifth anniversary at the moment. One of the things we really want to do is encourage more Ghanaian companies to understand the privileged access they have to the UK marketplace and to take advantage of it. Programs like Growth Gateway are designed to help Ghanaian companies enter and navigate the UK market,” Humphrey said.
He added that while this is not directly tied to Ghana’s 24-hour economy push, it reflects the broader commitment to deepening economic ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Goosie Tanoh, announced that the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat will soon be upgraded into a fully-fledged authority with an expanded mandate.
He disclosed that a draft bill to establish the authority will be laid before Parliament in October.
“The authority law is ready. It has been approved by Cabinet and will be presented to Parliament by the Attorney General in the next session. Parliament resumes in October, and I’m confident the law will form part of the deliberations,” Tanoh explained.
Highlighting the importance of the forum, the Executive Director of the UK–Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Adjoba Kyiamah, noted that it provides an opportunity to align both countries’ growth agendas with the interests of businesses.
“This forum is very important to us at the UK–Ghana Chamber of Commerce because our work involves engaging with both governments on behalf of our member companies. The UK government has a growth agenda, Ghana has a growth agenda, and the two align perfectly. Our member companies exist to remain viable, sustainable, and to contribute to both economies,” she said.