Ghana-Swiss Chamber to deepen trade relations

The Head of Cooperation Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana Matthias Feldmann has called for more value addition to products being exported to Switzerland.

According to him, this is one sure way to increase the foreign exchange earned by Ghana.

The volume of trade between Switzerland and Ghana hit $1.8 billion in 2014 and has been rising since.

Speaking to Citi Business News, Matthias Feldmann also commended Ghana for inching up to become Switzerland’s second most important trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The overall trade volume has been growing; Ghana in fact is the second trading partner to the Switzerland after South Africa in sub-Saharan Africa having overtaken Nigeria. That is an encouraging and promising sign but one of our goals is to see that trade between the two countries grows with value addition for products that are exported from Ghana to Switzerland. This is to help diversify the trade and help Ghanaians higher foreign exchange. When there is value addition that definitely will create employment for the youth in the country.”

Matthias Feldmann further explained that Ghana was the most important source of Swiss imports of cocoa, representing more than 64 per cent of total Swiss cocoa imports, ahead of Ecuador and Cote d’Ivoire.

Switzerland and Ghana maintain good relations and can look back on a long-standing exchange which has been fruitful for both countries.

The focal points of these relations are the flourishing trade, particularly in cocoa and the Swiss government’s cooperation program.

He made the comments in an interview with Citi Business News at the sidelines of Business cocktail meeting of the Swiss – Ghanaian Chamber of Commerce on the theme “Security and Emergency Health Response for Ghanaian Businesses.”

The Cocktail saw the Greater Accra Regional Police PRO ASP Afia Tenge taking members of the chamber through some measures the Police Command have taken to ensure safety of businesses heading to the 2016 elections.

The Swiss-Ghanaian Chamber of Commerce provides a professional environment for business people who are or wish to become a part of the Ghanaian-Swiss business community.

Its purpose is to promote trade and economic contact between Ghana and Switzerland by providing a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience between industrial, commercial and service enterprises in both countries.

The trade balance between Ghana and Switzerland is largely in favour of Ghana as half of the cocoa used to produce chocolate in Switzerland comes from Ghana as well as fruits such as pineapple.

In 2014, Switzerland had a volume of trade with Ghana amounting to 1,717.6 million Swiss Franc (1,585.4 million Swiss franc in imports, 32.2 million Swiss franc in exports).

By: Norvan Acquah – Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana