Inhabitants in and around Obuasi will soon enjoy the benefits of a juice processing plant which will be constructed in the city.
There will also be a partnership and a direct investment for two other projects soon to start in the vibrant city of Ashanti.
The initiative was taken by the Obuasi Sister City Committee and ASK GHANA, after an international business forum held between the Riverside California and Obuasi Sister Committee at the Marriot Hotel, in the United States of America.
The forum, which was aimed at educating participants on how to transact business in Ghana, also looked at the possibility of investing in schools in Obuasi that teach post high school students skills to make them join “the ever growing middle class in Ghana.”
Other issues deliberated upon at the event included ‘Growing Today the Business of Tomorrow, Doing business in Ghana: Opportunities and Resources and Investing in the culture of Obuasi. Issues on doing business in Ghana, opportunities and resources and investing in the culture in Obuasi also took centre stage in the discussions.
It would be recalled that the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and the Riverside City Council of the United States of America in September last year signed an agreement to enter into sister-city relations.
The agreement also saw the Obuasi Sister City International (OSCI) and Riverside Sister City (RSC), entering into a similar agreement. Both agreements were to promote education, culture and commence.
A release signed by the Chairman of the Obuasi Sister City Committee and Board Chairman of ASK GHANA, Mr. Robert Airhart, after the forum indicated that Obuasi Sister City Committee in Riverside and ASK GHANA are doing all they can to make this transaction a reality expressing the hope of exposing the people of Obuasi to the international world and enhance development in the area.
“We hope this will help the folks in Obuasi by exposing their wonderful people and the opportunities there. We are committed, so with hard work and in God’s good time, I am convinced we will bring meaningful investment to Obuasi”, he noted.
He explained that the main goal of ASK GHANA is to act as a conduit between Ghana and the United States saying they are currently promoting eight projects and arranging for partnership and direct investment for two others.
“We currently have eight projects we are promoting and two we are arranging a partnership and direct investment by us. We believe these two joint ventures between us and existing businesses in Obuasi will help us promote other businesses in Ghana”, he stressed adding that the Obuasi Sister City Committee in Riverside was planning a trip to Ghana with a bunch of investors to identify more business opportunities.
He added that though they were all experiencing tough economic times, the sort of returns available in Ghana would attract those who are not caught up in bad loans in America.
He also hinted of the Committee’s intention to invest in a port slaughtering house and a partnership formed at Bonwire in Ashanti for importing Kente into the United States of America.
From James Appiakorang Jnr., Kumasi
