By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, July 03, GNA— The New Patriotic Party Minority Caucus in Parliament has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s historic visit to the country.
Mr Modi’s visit marks the first time in over three decades that a sitting Indian Prime Minister has set foot on Ghanaian soil.
In a statement signed by Minority Leader Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin and issued to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, the Caucus applauded the partnership between Ghana and India, highlighting India’s invaluable contributions to Ghana’s development in education, trade, technology, healthcare, and human resource capacity-building.
“We in the minority caucus applaud this partnership and reiterate our commitment to furthering it, guided by mutual respect, shared values, and strategic cooperation,” it said.
It urged both governments to institutionalize the Ghana-India partnership through stronger parliamentary diplomacy, including the establishment of a Ghana-India Parliamentary Friendship Association.
It also called for partnerships rooted in local job creation, knowledge transfer, industrialization, and inclusive growth.
The statement cited a notable example of Indian-Ghanaian collaboration: the construction of sub-Saharan Africa’s first tissue factory using wood pulp as raw material in the Effutu constituency.
“This $31 million private investment, initiated in July 2023 and set for commissioning by October 2025, will produce 22,000 metric tons of jumbo tissue rolls annually and create over 200 direct jobs,” it said.
The Minority Caucus pledged its full support for strengthening Ghana-India relations and stood ready to deepen the bond between the two nations for the benefit of future generations.
It quoted Minority Leader Osahen Afenyo-Markin as saying, “Akwaaba, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, welcoming PM Modi to Ghana and expressing enthusiasm for the growing partnership between the two countries.”
GNA
Christian Akorlie