Ghanaian Minister of Finance named African Finance Minister of the Year by Africa investor during World Bank annual meetings

Johannesburg, South Africa; New York, USA; 11 October 2011: Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment research and communications group, awarded the Ghanaian Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, the African Finance Minister of the Year Award during the prestigious Africa investor (Ai) Investment and Business Leader Awards held in Washington during the World Bank Annual Meetings.

As the longest-standing and most respected international awards on investment in Africa, the Africa investor Investment and Business Leader Awards reward exceptional business practices, economic achievements and investments across the investment spectrum in Africa. The Awards shed light on Africa's many investment and leadership success stories, officially recognizing African business leaders, economic policy makers, international investors and development partners pioneering investments and improving Africa's investment climate.

Other shortlisted candidates for the highly sought-after Africa investor African Finance Minister of the Year Award included: Honourable Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, Minister, Ministry of Finance, Republic of South Africa; Honourable Lassina Bouare, Minister, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Republic of Mali; Honourable Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, Kenya Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Republic of Kenya; Honourable Mustafa Mkulo, Minister, Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs, United Republic of Tanzania; Honourable John Rwangombwa, Minister, Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning, Rwanda; Honourable M. Abdoulaye Diop, Minister, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Republic of Senegal; Honourable Syda Bbumda, Minister, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Republic of Uganda.

The Ministers' Award was presented at the Africa investor Investment and Business Leader Awards on 23 of September 2011 in Washington DC, USA, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel during the Africa investor Investment Climate Summit, held in association with the World Bank Group during the World Bank-IMF annual meetings.

Commenting on the awards, Hubert Danso, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman said: “We congratulate Minister Duffuor for his exceptional leadership and the confidence his policies are instilling in the international and domestic investment community, which continue to scale up investment plans for Ghana.”

The Ai Investment and Business Leader Awards' judges included: Mark Mobius, Executive Chairman of Templeton Asset Management; Hubert Danso, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Africa investor; Barbara Samuels, Executive Director, UN Financing for Development Business Steering Committee, and Dr Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Chairman, NEPAD Business Group.