Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah has hinted more Chinese firms are expected to relocate to Ghana as result of the economic downturn in that country. 

China is currently rated Ghana’s largest import supplier.

The local manufacturing sector is therefore expected to take advantage of the slump by producing more to meet the possible shortfall in Chinese imports.

But some analysts as well as the Association of Ghana Industries have said local manufacturers lack the capacity for this.

Speaking with Joy Business, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah however explains government is taking steps to still benefit from the slump.

Current figures show that China’s economy last year recorded a 6.9 percent, missing the 7 percent growth target and according to the minister, a lot of Chinese companies “have decided that they want to relocate a lot of their businesses to Ghana so they have actually written to our Ministry to prepare to receive them and later this year we are hoping to have a Ghana-China investment forum.”

He added that a substantial number of Chinese companies attended the recently held 4^th Ghana Economic Outlook and Business Strategy Conference in Accra and that a larger delegation is expected from China subsequently, to do match-making and counter-parting with their colleagues here in Ghana “and if our circumstances also permit then we will later send a big Ghanaian delegation sometime to China for an investment forum there as well.”

Dr. Spio Garbrah noted that Ghana is rich in raw materials and as far as the Chinese could bring their technology and capital aimed at adding value to them, Ghana would be happy to accommodate them.

He however, cautioned against those who might want to come in and infringe the laws of the country and engage in galamsey and other kinds of illegal activity.