Country Director of AFD, Amelie July
The Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Mrs. Amelie July has touted Ghana’s credentials as the major development partner of AFD in the West African region.
Speaking in an interview with Diplomatic Call, Mrs. July said that AFD valued operations in Ghana due to the long standing relationship that exists between both parties.
“Ghana is key to AFD’s West Africa footprint… AFD has been operating in Ghana for over 30 years now and this is largely because of the country’s favorable working environment” she said.
Mrs. July revealed that the AFD office in Ghana is the first to be opened in an English speaking country adding that “Ghana has benefitted from over EUR 800 million financial partnerships with AFD since 1985 when it officially opened”.
According to her, the AFD has identified the agricultural, energy and urban sectors as the key contributors to national development in the country which she also says “forms the centrality of priority sectors of AFD operations worldwide.”
Mrs. July further explained that the strong economic growth experienced in Ghana has called for a need to continue to extend access to electricity for rural and urban communities, making energy one of the country’s major challenges.
“We have just recently approved a concessional loan of EUR 141 million to GRIDCO to build 330 Kilowatt of electricity to strengthen the national grid and also develop [Ghana’s] electricity interconnection with Burkina Faso” she said.
According to her, Ghana has also received a EUR 40.5 million concessional loan to finance its urban development project which aims to improve public transportation and road infrastructure of four major cities in Ghana namely Kumasi, Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi and Ho.
With regards to agriculture, Mrs. July said AFD was equally interested in the agricultural sector which mainly provides employment and foreign currency to the country.
She disclosed that AFD partnered with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) to set up the first non-sovereign loan in 2010 to finance agriculture in Ghana.
“Through this partnership, the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) received a 14 million-Euros credit line to provide funds for 2,750 rubber farmers to grow 10,500 hectares of rubber plantations” she added.
The Agence Française de Development (AFD), as it is known in French, is a public development finance institution which aims to alleviate poverty and support economic growth, in both developing and emerging countries and in France’s overseas provinces.
It currently has 71 offices and bureaus extended to over 90 countries across four continents in the world.
The AFD operations in Ghana are in line with both the national development strategy and the bilateral cooperation policy between Ghana and France.
Mrs. July said that the French Development Agency is self-funded through publicly-issued bonds and private equity; she however noted that funds from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs allow the Agency to finance projects with grants.
Mrs. Amelie July, who resumed office in Ghana only six months ago, is one of only six females of the total 71 Country Directors of the AFD.
By Prince Asare, Diplomatic Call.
