Dr Mary Awusi, the newly-appointed CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, is on a passionate quest to drawing foreign investors into Ghana to support the government's 24-hour economy initiative.

At the 3rd US-Ghana Business Expo Roundtable and B2B Matching event held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, Dr Awusi noted President John Mahama’s vision to materialise an enabling environment so businesses could operate day and night, driving productivity, creating jobs, and feeding the economy.

According to Dr Awusi, the government had its eyes on harnessing the power of technology to improve the agricultural sector, promoting agro-processing and manufacturing. She said the private sector would be key to this and so incentives would be provided in players therein, as part of efforts to transforming Ghana into an import-substitution and export-led economy.

This is where the Accelerated Export Development Programme (AEDP) comes in, she highlighted. A programme which seeks to improve the business environment for exporters, enriching their international competitiveness.

Dr Awusi drew attention to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquartered in Ghana, offering investors access to a market of over 1.3 billion people, worth a combined US$3.4 trillion in GDP.

She brought up the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), which aims to expand Ghana's export base, diversify markets, and develop the non-traditional export (NTE) sector.

"The NEDS seeks to consolidate Ghana's middle-income status, create formal and decent job opportunities, and ensure high standards of living for the people," she said.

Dr. Awusi impressed on the American investors there were grand opportunities in key sectors like healthcare, global business services, trade and investment, and agriculture, among others.

She recognised healthcare in Ghana was fertile ground for investment in medical infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and telemedicine, etc, while aiding accessibility and quality healthcare delivery to locals.

She pointed to Ghana’s agriculture being the bulwark of the Ghanaian economy, and the opportunities the country's huge arable lands and strong commitment to agro-processing offered.

"Ghana's Free Zones and the National Export Development Strategy support investments that enhance value addition and export competitiveness, positioning Ghana as a major supplier of high-quality agricultural products," she emphasised.

Dr Awusi assured investors the Ghana Free Zones Authority was ready to support businesses interested in to tap into opportunities within the Free Zones and beyond.

Organised by the US-Ghana Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia in collaboration with the US Commercial Service, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGl), the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), and Millersville University, Lancaster, the US-Ghana Business Expo raised a platform for more than 20 Ghanaian businesses and their US counterparts to engage each other on sectors including agriculture, energy, healthcare, transportation, trade and investment, fintech, real estate, and technology.