(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and members of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. plan to go to Africa on a trade mission this summer but did not release which dates the trip will take place and how much of the trip will be paid for with taxpayer funds.
Evers and the WEDC, including former CEO Missy Hughes, spent at least $160,000 on a trip last year to Germany and France, according to public records obtained by The Center Square.
That trip included $69,000 for a chauffeur and limousine service, nearly $19,000 to AHP International for consulting and printed materials related to the trip and a nearly $3,200 group welcome dinner at Zucker restaurant in Braunschweig, Germany.
This year’s trip will include visits to both Ghana and South Africa, including visiting Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd., the largest cocoa processor in Ghana. The company operates its North American manufacturing facility in Franklin, Wisconsin.
“As a former Wisconsin manufacturer who grew our family business by exporting globally, including to South Africa, it’s important to recognize that Wisconsin businesses have a meaningful presence in both Ghana and South Africa,” WEDC Secretary and CEO John W. Miller said in a statement. “Through trade relationships, distribution partnerships, and investment opportunities, Wisconsin companies operating in these two markets contribute to job creation, technology transfer, and economic growth while strengthening the state’s commercial ties across Africa.”
The WEDC took nearly seven months to produce the records from last year’s European trip.
Evers’ office and the WEDC did not respond to questions on how the European trip was paid for but the WEDC’s budget plan summary includes $900,000 for trade missions and foreign direct investment that it says includes trips planned to Japan, Canada, Mexico and Germany.
