body-container-line-1
15.06.2005 General News

More US Support For Ghana

15.06.2005 LISTEN
By Graphic

The United States of America (USA) has promised to provide more financial support for Ghana to help address its developmental challenges.

The US secretary of state, Ms Condoleeza Rice, who made the promise yesterday at a meeting with President J.A. Kufuor in Washington, however, did not give details of the support.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, the presidential spokesperson and press secretary to the President, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, said Ms Rice described President Kufuor as a good friend of the USA and an influential African leader who ought to be emulated by his peers.

She said the decision by Ghana to be the first African country to submit itself to scrutiny under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) demonstrated President Kufuor's commitment to openness and transparency, adding that it was a privilege to befriend such a leader.

President Kufuor held another meeting with the executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr Abbas Mirakhor, also behind closed doors. They reviewed various programmes being undertaken by the Government of Ghana under the auspices of the IMF.

They also discussed means of disbursing, as soon as possible, funds that the IMF had committed to Ghana, especially a $28 million facility.

President Kufuor seemed to have had a hectic day as he held yet another meeting with the president of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Mr Paul Applegarth.

They discussed issues of mutual interest, including ways of removing obstacles to accessing the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) to enhance the speedy disbursement of Ghana's share of the account.

Mr Applegarth urged the Government of Ghana to take the initiative to develop the country's infrastructure to encourage investors into the country. He was happy to learn that the Government was taking measures to improve the earnings of millions of its people in deprived communities.

body-container-line