Investors, Policy makers and experts from various sectors have been exploring new opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) investments in Ghana.
Government is seeking private sector partnership to enable the country meet the 2030 SDG targets.
The move has become necessary as Ghana’s progress towards the attainment of the goals has been described as very slow.
“There is a big financial gab and the only place that the gab can be filled is the private sector which is profit driven. So we’re are finding a way to leverage to make sure they make their profit even as they invest in businesses that will help achieve the goals,” Minister for Planning, Professor George Gyan-Baffour said at the First Accra SDG Investment Fair.
Government has aligned the attainment of the Goals to various development projects including the One District One Factory project which addresses SDG goal 8 of providing descent work and economic growth, planting for food and jobs which is linked to the SDG 2 and the Free SHS policy which addresses goal 4.
Haven’t financed the implementation of the goals solely for years, government is finding ways to make the project commercially viable.
“First thing is to ensure that the macro economy is stable, make sure inflation is low and access to credit is enhanced, make sure roads are good and electricity is available and at affordable rates. And government is doing all that to make the environment favorable for investors in this direction,” Professor Gyan-Baffour noted.
General Manager of the Venture Capital Trust Fund Hamdiya Ismaila on her part charged government to provide incentives for businesses in order to raise new capital to achieve the SDG goals.
She said “impact investors already want to put money where they can really feel they have made an impact. So you need to find out what their interest is and try to build something around their interest.”
Participants of the first SDG Investment Fair discussed how potentials in the SDG Goals, can be tapped while mitigating risks and removing constraints to make investing in that field more attractive and profit oriented.
Several panel discussions were held to discuss specific areas including how to finance impact investments.
The Fair was organised by the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Investment Promotions Centre (GIPC), in collaboration with the SDG Advisory Unit at the Presidency.
By Nana Oye Ankrah/Citibusinessnews.com/Ghana