Over the course of three days, the visit of the President of the Egyptian African Businessmen Association, Dr. Yousrey El-Sharkawi, and his accompanying delegation of companies and members of the association’s board of directors to Ghana – West Africa – was concluded as part of an intensive work program that includes both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire on an important trip coordinated by the embassy. The Arab Republic of Egypt in Ghana, His Excellency Ambassador Ayman El-Desouki, the Egyptian Commercial Representation – Africa Sector, and the Representative Office of the Egyptian-African Businessmen Association in Ghana.
Kl-Sharkawi stated that this visit carried several goals, the most important of which is preparing for a major trade mission to West Africa that includes approximately 50 Egyptian companies during July 2024, with the aim of supporting an increase in Egyptian trade exchange with the ECOWAS group, which is the 15 French-speaking countries of West Africa. The visit also supported the expansion of the presence of Egyptian products in Ghana in light of the boom that occurred in the past two years, in which Egyptian exports rose from 60 million dollars to nearly 500 million dollars thanks to the efforts of the Egyptian ambassador and his assistant.
Al-Sharkawi confirmed that some of the companies accompanying this visit were able to contract to expand their work in the fields of sports investment and industrial representation products, as well as distinctive laboratory furniture equipment, in a way that aims to achieve business in the range of 10-15 million dollars this year.
The visit also achieved its goals, the most important of which was establishing the nucleus of the first private sector commercial office in Accra, a market that serves four countries: Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire. It was arranged to start work immediately with employees from the Egyptian private sector, along with local employees and representatives from Ghana, in the first experience of effective expansion within the country. West Africa During the trip to Ghana, the President of the Egyptian African Businessmen Association held several meetings with the Vice President of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the President of the Ghanaian Importers Union, visited the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and met with the Secretary General of the Ministry and his team, Chairman of the Investment Authority, and CEO of the University of Ghana, Vice Chancellor of the Ghana University of Communication and Technology, He is the Director of Requirements and Purchasing at the largest retail group in Ghana, Melcon, and a number of senior businessmen.
El-Sharkawi expressed his hope that the association’s plans, efforts and actions will lead to success. He indicated his keenness to communicate with the West African community, and it was agreed to cooperate with the Ghanaian community in three basic axes
The first axis: –
•Cooperating and welcoming the Ghanaian private sector in the stages of launching the “FATA” platform from Africa to Africa.
•Preparing and signing a cooperation protocol between the association and the Ghana Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
•Ending a cooperation protocol between the Association and the Ghana General Investment Authority in support of the success of the promotional initiative prepared by the Association entitled (Opening African Markets for Trade Ends with Industry)
•Agreing on the terms of cooperation with the Ghanaian Importers Union, which aims to increase imports of the Ghanaian market’s needs from Egypt.
The second axis: –
•Preparing for an agreement with the 40,000 members of the Ghanaian financial and business community in order to implement for them a plan and program for medical tourism in Egypt.
The third axis: –
• Agreement with two major universities in Ghana in order to work on opening horizons for Ghanaian students to enroll in private university education in Egypt with a number of members of the association. The visit achieved all its objectives successfully and confirmed that the African markets are promising markets and that the Ghanaian market is in dire need of all Egyptian products as well as medical services. And medicines. There is an hour’s opportunity for building materials, cable companies, lighting, electrical appliances, and food. Moreover, agricultural investment opportunities for producing Egyptian agricultural crops in Ghana are available and strong, and we will be keen to also receive a major trade delegation from Ghana during this year in Cairo
