NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER APPOINTED FOR GHANA INVESTMENT PROMOTION CENTRE (GIPC)

H. E. the President, Professor J. E. Atta Mills has appointed Mr. George Kwame Aboagye, 58 years, as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).
Mr. Aboagye started his career as an Assistant Commercial Officer at the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Ghana in 1979 and rose to the position of Commercial Officer in 1982. He lectured in Business Management and Marketing at the Kebbi State University (Sokoto State Polytechnic) in Nigeria, 1983 to 1984.

Since 1984, Mr. Aboagye has been involved in Trade and Investment Promotion Programmes in Africa and Asia as an Advisor/Consultant for multi–lateral and bi–lateral agencies. Specifically, he served as the World Bank Implementation Consultant and USAID/Trade and Investment Programme (TIP) Special Adviser respectively, for the Development of the Ghana Free Zones Programme from 1994 to 2001and simultaneously as the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) from 1996 to 2001.

Mr. Aboagye had been engaged on a number of ITC UNCTAD/WTO projects as: Assistant Project Coordinator/Export Development Adviser in Afghanistan from 1984 to 1987; Chief Technical Adviser/Senior Trade Promotion Adviser in Zambia from 1988 to 1991; and Adviser on Export Strategy Options and Competitiveness of Sierra Leone, between 1996 to 1997.

He also served as Commonwealth Secretariat Senior Export Training Adviser in Namibia (1991-1993), a Team Leader/Consultant for the Review of the Export Development Policies and Strategies of Zambia and Coordinated the Export Business Intensification Programme of Zambia in selected COMESA Markets of Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (2002-2005).

From July 2007 to March 2008, Mr. Aboagye served as Assistant Team Leader in the provision of Consultancy Services for the preparation of a 4-year Corporate Strategic Plan for the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) of Ghana. He further led a team of Consultants in the Development of the Ghana Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Free Zones Unit, which was funded by the World Bank/IDA, between 2007 and 2008.

In March 2001, under the leadership of Mr. George Aboagye, the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) was awarded the Arch of Europe in the Gold Category for Corporate Achievement in recognition of quality and excellence in Private Sector Development in Africa.

Mr. Aboagye holds a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Area Studies from the University of London (SOAS), UK, majoring in Economics (1977). He is also a Graduate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK (1974); Member of the Chartered Management Institute, UK and an Associate Member of the Institute of Export, UK.
Mr. Aboagye has several publications on Trade and Investment issues to his credit. His hobbies are walking, cooking, listening to jazz and (proverbial) high Life and reading. He is married with 3 children.

The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre is the government agency re-established under the GIPC Act 1994 [Act 478] mandated to encourage, promote and facilitate investment in all sectors of the Ghanaian economy with the exception of mining, petroleum, free zone activities and the privatization of Government entities.