…………As Ghanaian Company Representatives Call on him in Niamey
Report: Mohammed Abu
The President of the Niger Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture, Industry & Handicrafts, Mr. Moussa Sidi Mohamed has asked diaspora Nigerien owned companies as well as all other Ghanaian companies with business interest in Niger, to treat the chamber as their home.
Mr. Mohamed also advised them to seek from the chamber, expert advice relating to their new business set up in the country while also urging them not to hesitate to bring to the notice of the chamber if they happen to be encountering any difficulties during their business incorporation process.
He said that the Nigeri government had taken pragmatic steps through various reforms aimed at reducing both cost and ease of doing business in Niger. Touching on gains so far made in this direction, Mr. Mohamed cited the World Bank worldwide ease of doing business 2020-2021 rankings that had put Niger in the position of 132 out of 190 countries with a score of 56.8 percent.
Under the reforms, incorporation of a company he said, now takes a maximum of three working days and at the cost CFA17,500.00.
Mr. Mohamed was speaking during a courtesy call on him by Ghanaian participants facilitated by Her Excellency, Hajia Salamatou Goga, the Nigerien Ambassador to Ghana, on the sidelines of a two-day Workshop (15th-16th March) on the UK Export Finance funding procedure, terms and conditions.
The event was held to co-inside with the visit of its Executive Director for West Africa as well as, a UK Trade Mission to Niger that comprised Representatives of about twelve UK companies.
Mr. Mohammed added that, Niger’s huge agriculture, substantial mineral deposits, tourism and handicrafts potential among others, offers diverse investment opportunities for investors and thus, Niger is welcoming investors with open hands.
In a submission, Alhaj Abdul Aziz Adamu, the Managing Director of Global Haulage Ltd, Ghana, a Ghanaian company reputed for haulage of agro-products and general goods in Ghana and other parts of the West African sub-region, said they weren’t just into haulage of the commodities alone, but also into their trade as well including financing.
The Group, Alhaj Adamu disclosed, was in Niger alongside their business partners to explore diverse areas of investment opportunities including information Technology(IT.)
Earlier in a brief presentation on the Global Haulage Group during the workshop session, Maria Adamu-Zebo, Managing Director of the Federated Commodities Ltd, a member of the Group said that, aside haulage of commodities, the group was also into commodities trade via licensed cocoa buying and exports as well as banking and financing.
Sarki Alhaj Pro-Umar Tanko, CEO of Tanko Forex Bureau Ltd, Ghana, who also doubles as the Chief of the Zarma Community in the Greater Accra region of Ghana on his part, underscored the need for investor circumspection while recounting losses incurred in the country by Ghana based diaspora Nigerien owned companies in the previous past.
Sarki Pro-Umar Tanko said that aside forex trading operations, he was into investment in land property and development as well as trading in refined oil products.
He also disclosed that during a post UE-Niger Business Forum survey he conducted in some rural communities in Niger, it was established that those areas also offer some promising investments opportunities often overlooked by most investors.
Sarki Tanko while also lauding Her Excellency, Hajia Salamatou Goga, the Nigeri Ambassador to Ghana for her hard work, also prayed the Nigeri authorities to grant her a longer tenure of office for the benefit of Niger-Ghana diplomatic, bilateral and business relations.
Other Ghanaian companies present were, the New Modern World Company Ltd, led by its CEO, Hon Usman Inusah and other members of his management Team, Mutilai Trading Enterprise, Federated Commodities Ltd among others.
In another development Her Excellency, the Nigerien Ambassador to Ghana also facilitated a meeting between representatives of six Ghanaian companies and His Excellency, President Mohamed Bazoum during which the Nigerien Trade Minister, H.E., Alkache Alhada was also present.
The Trade Minister underscored the importance of getting Ghanaian companies to participate in the UK Export Finance funding procedure Workshop. This, he said was borne out of the fact that, Ghanaian companies had decades long experience in doing business with the UK as well as, the UK Export Finance mode of funding. Thus, their presence at the event as high level economic operators in Ghana was good for synergy and value addition to the event.
His Excellency, President Bazoum on his part assured the Ghanaian companies of government security protection in the country for investors, a guarantee of their investments, lower company incorporation cost and ease of doing business.
His Excellency further assured them of tax and duty exemption on their imported equipment relating to their various fields of business operation and with particular reference to agriculture machinery.
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