Some Ghanaian Missions Are Irrelevant

Mr George Kumi, a Former Ambassador to Libya says some of Ghana�s Embassies are not beneficial to the nation and need to be closed-down. He observed that many of them do not have direct trade partnership, and economic cooperation with host nations that could attract investment and improve Ghana�s export earnings. Speaking to Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Kumi who served under the Kufuor�s administration disclosed that government spent approximately 200,000 to 300,000 dollars monthly at each of the embassies. The expenditure is on rent charges, wage, transport and other protocols, he explained. �Some of the embassies only serve as protocol,� Mr Kumi, who was also Ghana�s High Commissioner to Nigeria, observed, adding: �Government could save such monthly financial outlaws to those countries.� He cited that Ghana High Commission in Nigeria have oversight responsibilities in Chad, Cameroun, Sao Tome and Principe, because Ghanaians in those countries are few and the economic potentials there are limited. Mr Kumi called for an effective partnership between Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Food and Agriculture in linking up with the various embassies and identifying other trade opportunities to create employment and improve the country�s export earnings. He noted that the country�s local production is very low because the current economic environment is not favourable for the private sector to thrive.