Ghana-Denmark end annual consultations

Accra (Greater Accra), 23rd April ?99 -

Ghana and Denmark on Thursday signed agreed minutes of their 1999 Annual Consultations on development partnership by which Denmark is providing 28 million dollars for the health, energy, road and agricultural sectors. The amount will increase by two million dollars a year, till 2002. The consultation, the seventh in the series, focused on developing partnership and economically viable relations between Ghanaians and Danes.

Signing the agreement, the Minister of Finance, Mr Kwame Peprah, said the 1999 bilateral consultations is significant, in that it comes at a time when Ghana is strengthening her economic reforms and expressed the hope that Denmark will continue to help Ghana out through this "difficult transition".

"We are appreciative of this role by Denmark in fostering strong co- operation in Ghana, especially in the development of the private sector. It is one of the unique means of transferring modern technology within the framework of bilateral consultations", Mr Peprah said.

He said government welcomes the usual timely advice and criticisms from the Danish government, saying they have helped in shaping its plans and programmes. Ms Nanna Hvidt, Head of Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen, said she is impressed that after some difficult years, Ghana's economy is now stabilising with falling inflation and interest rates.

"This is to a large extent due to the disciplined economic policies the government has undertaken - not without short-term sacrifices. But we are happy to see the priority given to social sectors". She said she hoped that the discipline would be sustained next year and beyond to help pave the way for private sector growth and increase economic growth beyond the present four to five per cent.

She said her delegation recommends an increase in funding for road maintenance through the road fund, adding that the focus on the rural areas is positive. Ms Hivdt hoped that Ghana would be able to gradually increase the level of her own funding of public investments through increased and equitable taxes.