The Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, H.E. Simone Giger, has disclosed that her country is now Ghana’s number export country. According to her, exports from Ghana to Switzerland last year amounted to $3 billion.
Ghana also retained its position as Switzerland’s second-largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, topped only by South Africa.
Ambassador Giger was speaking at an event celebrating Swiss National Day, held at the Swiss Residence in Accra recently.
She also hailed inclusion and consensus-building as critical elements of democracy, which ensures that citizens feel they have a say in their nation’s governance.
Addressing an audience that included the Honorable Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, government officials, traditional leaders, civil society representatives and members of the diplomatic community, Ambassador Giger emphasised the importance of inclusivity in politics and the benefits it has brought to her own country.
Ambassador Giger asserted that an inclusive and participatory approach is a remedy for the growing disenchantment with democracy around the world, including in Africa.
“There is widespread doubt about whether democracy can truly deliver and bring citizens closer to the goal of shared prosperity,” she noted, referencing the latest Afrobarometer report.
The Swiss envoy believes that forging compromises and building consensus around issues of national interest are crucial elements in any nation-building effort.
Drawing examples from Swiss experience, she noted that despite the slow decision-making process that consensus seeking comes with, decisions made are longstanding “because everybody feels they have a stake in the process and its outcome.
“A good start for rebuilding faith in democracy is by introducing bridge-building and consensus-oriented approaches that take into account the needs and aspirations of all social groups,” Ambassador Giger added. She further argued that such an approach is not alien to Ghanaian values and expectations, as reflected in the Akan adage “ti korɔ ŋkɔ agyina,” which emphasises the value of collaboration and working together to achieve common objectives.
Ambassador Giger highlighted the longstanding cordial relationship between Switzerland and Ghana, signified by two special events in the past year: the visit to Ghana by former Swiss President and Federal Councillor for Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis – in his first to the Gulf of Guinea – in November 2023, and Ghana’s active participation in the Swiss-organised Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held in Switzerland in June 2024.
