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10 July 2009
Abuja — Nigeria and Ghana have set up a joint committee to resolve the problems arising from the demand by Ghana that Nigerian businesses pay 300,000 dollars to operate in Ghana.
On November 28, 2007, the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) slammed the fee on Nigerian businessmen in Ghana, sealing up hundreds of shops that were not able to pay the money.
Many of the shops have remained sealed, more than 20 months after they were closed.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, said yesterday in Accra that Nigeria had taken up the matter with Ghana, following the recent visit of President John Ata Mills to Nigeria.
"We are on top of the discussions and the issues and we are happy that the meeting was successful and we are happy that we have been able to further deepen and strengthen the bilateral ties between Ghana and Nigeria."
He noted, however, that the Ghanaian government had yet to drop the 300,000 dollar charge, explaining that the measure was borne out of a perceived fear by the Ghanaian authorities that Nigerians would choke and dominate the business environment in Ghana.
"Imagine us allowing the Chinese to come into Alaba and be trading along with the locals. It will be an uneven competition. I think that is what they are saying that 'Nigerians not only do you know the business better, you also have bigger resources to compete and choke them.' That is what they are trying to prevent."
Obanikoro said that Nigerian businesses had been advised to form business groups to meet the conditions imposed by Ghana for them to operate, explaining that the authorities in the country had made it flexible for the Nigerians to pay the money.
According to him, the Ghanaian government has advised the Nigerian businessmen to come together to form one company and continue to do their businesses in the country, noting that the goods owned by the companies also formed part of the 300,000 dollars required by the government.
He said also that Nigerian investments in Ghana had since surpassed the one billion-dollar mark, noting that Nigerian businesses, including insurance companies, banks and telecommunications companies, had continued to pour into the West African country. Obanikoro said that Ghanaians had been showing tremendous interest in Nigerian goods, including leather, crude oil, detergents, noodles and other goods, noting however, that Nigerians were spending more money buying Ghanaian goods.
The high commissioner expressed delight that Nigerian companies were exploiting the business opportunities opening up in Ghana, following the return of democracy 17 years ago, describing the development as encouraging.
He said that the state-owned Ghana Life Insurance Company had been purchased by a Nigerian investor and that Nigerian oil companies, including Oando, Sahara Oil and African Petroleum, had been making good showing in Ghana. (NAN).
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