SIAKON MEDIA

Accra, June 3, GNA - Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry on Thursday asked investors to see Ghana and other countries in the sub-region as good investment destinations where they could exploit opportunities.

She said the period of conflicts and political upheavals were over making the sub-region and Africa the right environment for investment.

Ms Tetteh was speaking at the opening session of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Exim Bank Regional Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership in Accra.

The annual conclave, which started in 2005, has become a medium for Indian and African policy makers, corporate leaders and academics to converge to share knowledge and network for collaborative businesses.

The Ghana event is collaboration between the Association of Ghana Industries and CII.

Over 44 participants from telecommunication, agriculture, infrastructure and heavy machinery sectors, from India are attending to explore business opportunities with their counterparts from countries in the West African sub-region.

Ms Tetteh said sharing knowledge and technology was the best way to accelerate economic development since that would allow countries to go beyond dependence on export of primary commodities and diversify to manufacturing.

She lauded objectives of the conclave, saying it could help move the continent forward and appealed to prospective investors to invest in varied environments.

Gilbert Hounghou, Togolese Prime Minister, said every effort should be made to sustain the partnership through developing capacity to assume development and build local ownership of projects.

"The partnership must be action-oriented and results based," he said.

Mr S. Kuppuswamy, Leader of the Indian delegation, said the conclave had helped to build bridges between Indian businesses and their African counterparts.

He said it was a lasting partnership not only based on commercial interest but on a shared vision of mutual attitude to develop and succeed.

"Partnership growing from strength to strength with focus fully fixed on education, innovation and entrepreneurship designed to enhance growth and employment," he said.

GNA

Accra, June 16, GNA - More than 120 buyers have already registered for DISCOP AFRICA 4, scheduled for September 1- September 3, in Nairobi, Kenya.

A statement issued and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday said DISCOP AFRICA 4, would focus on providing African producers access to both the domestic and international marketplace, as organisers report a marked growth in demand from broadcasters looking for quality content from African producers. 

"The African Diaspora is growing and we are seeing more niche channels targeting this audience across Europe and North America," Cherise Barsell, DISCOP AFRICA Executive Manager said.

Organisers of DISCOP AFRICA, the most established TV market in Sub-Saharan Africa, said five channels from UK had already registered for DISCOP AFRICA 4, with more international channels expected to register before September.

It said DISCOP AFRICA 4 would continue to host the hugely successful MADE IN AFRICA workshops, designed to create a dialogue between industry leaders and independent African producers on improving content quality, finding funding, and increasing distribution.

"Through our discussions, it became clear that the best way to increase the viability of African content was to focus directly on funding and sales, which is exactly what we would do at DISCOP AFRICA 4," says Barsell.

The statement said from the sales perspective, independent African producers registered for DISCOP AFRICA 4 would be able to hold meetings and screen their content in the MADE IN AFRICA Pavilion.

They would also be offered advanced sales services, which include access to an on-line database of buyers and their content needs, and the possibility to post programmes to the DISTUBE on-line screening platform.    

"Furthermore, all producers would have access to a professional workshop to help improve their sales skills," it added.

The statement said producers would also have access to funding opportunities, as the event hosted a co-production pitching session, which would see five qualified fiction producers selected to pitch their programmes to five international and Kenyan broadcasters and producers interested in African co-production opportunities.

It said about 2,500 participants are expected to participate in various DISCOP events organised in 2010, demonstrating the growing importance of world regions such as Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East for audio-visual content business.

After 15 years of operating independently, DISCOP events have now partnered National Association of Television Programme Executives (NATPE) since 2005. 

A global content marketplace for the digital world, NATPE is the only US-based destination for buyers and sellers.

Now in Miami Beach, NATPE is a catalyst in the content revolution providing thousands of chances to make one good deal.

GNA