The Indonesian Honorary Consul to Ghana, Paskal Rois has urged the Government of Ghana, the business community, and traditional authorities to leverage opportunities in Indonesia for development.

According to him, the Indonesian government and the private sector have rolled up their sleeves to partner in all sectors of the economy to promote bilateral trade and development.

H.E. Rois made this known when the Akpinifia Okpekpewuokpe Dagadu IX, led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on him.

He disclosed that Indonesian investors have currently put forward various proposals hoping to partner with Ghanaian nationals and government in the areas of agribusiness, trade, and energy among others.

Agribusiness

He outlined that a company ready to invest in palm oil production is seeking about 35,000 hectares of land to establish a plantation, refinery, school, and clinic among other peripheral logistics.

He also hinted at the proposed establishment of a cassava processing plant, possibly in the Volta Region if land area of 20 hectares is made available in the nearest possible time.

He made mention of a soon-to-be-established Indonesian Aid Program, which would see qualified entities and individuals supported with funds to venture into various agribusiness modules, listing aquaculture as an example.

Energy

H.E. Rois further indicates that there are ongoing preparations to harness sunlight to produce energy to complement the country’s national grid.

“We are looking at establishing a solar and wind energy center to produce power between 500 to 2000 MW to add up to what we currently have. We are still contemplating where to establish the production unit”, he said.

Business and trade

He stressed how the Indonesian manufacturing and industry sector has quickly developed, indicating that the Southeastern Asian country “produces everything it uses.”

He listed the famous MediSoft soap and Indomie as products from Indonesia and opined that businessmen can trade with industries in Indonesia by serving as their sole distributors in Ghana.

“So you can visit Indonesia, have a discussion with the industries, bring in their products to Ghana, and sell. I can stand as a guarantor for anyone interested. A Nigerian did that with Indomie and now he handles West Africa, we can do the same”, he added.

He also shed light on the fast-growing pharmaceutical sector of Indonesia where drugs of all kinds and vaccines are being produced, urging Ghanaians to foster a partnership to promote the sector in Ghana.

Education

In the education sector, H.E. Rois said there are fully funded scholarships sponsored by the Indonesian government for prospective students from developing countries such as Ghana.

He said the scholarships ranging from undergraduate, postgraduate to PhD among others, are solely to help the benefiting countries develop their human resources to propel growth.

He advised Ghanaians to take advantage of the scholarships, apply, and benefit from them as they would not be obliged to pay a Cedi for the entire duration of their studies.

“The good thing is that they will be given money while they study and have their tuition, accommodation, and other things paid for. So Togbe, this is a good opportunity for you and your people. Let us grab it and make good use of it”, he stressed.

He added that there are job opportunities for those who wish to stay and work after their studies, while those in Ghana can also apply for remote jobs in Indonesia.

Building bilateral trades

H.E. Rois appealed to Togbe Dagadu to form an umbrella body of businessmen and women in his traditional area and lead them on an exploratory visit to Indonesia.

He said the visit should be centered on establishing trade partners and promoting and exchanging culture among others geared towards the development of the Akpini Traditional Area.

“So, Togbe, I will urge you to bring together the business people in your area under an association or something of that sort. Once you are ready, I will facilitate a visit for you to Indonesia and that will be the beginning of good things to come to your traditional area. But be ready to sacrifice farmlands for the investors”, he said.

He extended an invitation to the Ghanaian community to participate in the upcoming Trade and Expo event in Indonesia in October 2025 to exhibit their goods and build networks and partnerships.

He promised his commitment to coordinate visits to other East Asian countries such as Malaysia targeted at building partnerships towards socioeconomic growth.

“So I am ready but you [Togbe Dagadu] must be ready more”, he concluded.

Akpinifia Dagadu’s response

Akpinifia Okpekpewuokpe Dagadu IX was elated with the wide range of opportunities detailed to him promising to ensure his area is positioned to reap the benefits of the opportunities.

He suggested a partnership with a similar traditional area in Indonesia to promote and exchange cultural values between the two countries.

He also appealed for support in the development of the education and health sectors in his area promising to put up a team to deliberate and develop a roadmap to take advantage of the opportunities from Indonesia.

“We are going to do a lot of work. Our visit has been of great benefit, and we will constantly be in touch with you”, he concluded.