Mills Pledges Support for Private Sector.

By Emmanuel Kubi

Daily Guide:Sept.15,2010

PRESIDENT Mills has pledged his administration’s preparedness to support the private sector to invest in agriculture in order to make it more attractive.
He noted that the agricultural sector forms a pivotal part of Ghana’s economy and would be given the needed attention.
He said it is evident that many Ghanaian businessmen are not rich enough to take care of themselves and remain competitive, adding, “We will support these players in the sector to make them the real engine of growth to propel the economy.”
President Mills disclosed these last Thursday when he and his guest, President Teodoro Mbasogo of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea jointly inaugurated the SIDALCO fertilizer factory, which is located along the Accra-Tema Motorway.
President Mills promised to support the agenda of President Teodoro Mbasogo to improve the agricultural sector of Equatorial Guinea.
He observed that agriculture has been the main backbone of most African economies and stressed the need to develop and foster intra-trade to ensure food security on the continent.

The visit of the Equatorial Guinean President to Ghana was aimed at strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries, which started during the tenure of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president.
President Mbasogo was hopeful that the two nations would use agriculture as the starting point to deepen relations, adding that it would encourage other African countries to intensify economic independency and self-sufficiency.
He said his country would learn from Ghana’s experience in agricultural development, noting that they have decided to diversify the economy from the over reliance on oil to develop the agricultural sector since oil resources are not renewable.
“The only way for African nations to maintain their sovereignty is to break all sorts of dependency with their colonial past and promote intra African trade and the exchange of goods and services,” he emphasized.
David Lamptey, a former Member of Parliament (MP) and his wife, Aku Shika established Sidalco company in 1998, which is currently producing chemical fertilizers, weedicides and other farm equipment in the country in commercial quantities.
According to Mr. Lamptey, “Though it was very challenging in the 1990s to establish this company, we were able to overcome the challenges and that is what has brought us this far,” he sad.
Sidalco has grown over the years into a $70 million venture with the capacity to export their products to other West African countries