Vice President interacts with Japanese business delegation

Accra, Sept. 17, GNA- A 38-member Japanese Public and Private Joint Mission to promote investment in Africa on Wednesday interacted with Ghanaian officials, as a follow-up to the 4th Tokyo International Conference on Africa's Development (TICAD IV), which was attended by President John Agyekum Kufuor in May this year.

The delegation led by Mr. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Parliamentary Vice- Minister for Foreign Affairs, focussed the day's visit on trade, Information, Communication and Telecommunication, oil exploration, minerals, investment, tourism and agriculture.

The delegation had already visited Nigeria and would leave Ghana for Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who received the delegation at the Osu Castle, expressed dissatisfaction about the small Foreign Direct Investment of Japan to Ghana and appealed to the economic giant to reverse the situation.

He called for Japanese support in critical areas like energy, railway, road, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. Alhaji Mahama also invited Japanese firms to take advantage of Ghana's oil find by taking part in exploration and the development of the upstream petroleum industry. Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister of State in-charge of Finance and Economic Development, described Japan as an important bilateral partner and called for the country to expand its financial assistance to Ghana. He said Ghana's economy, which was growing at a rate of five to six per cent was among the fastest growing economies in Africa. Dr Charles Berempong-Yeboah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, said TICAD IV, pledged to double aid to Africa from 2008 to 2012.

Mr Yasutoshi lauded Ghana as one of the leading countries in Africa with democratic track record and described the trend as the motivating factor for Japanese support to the country.

He said the delegation would later meet with officials of the Ministry of Energy and the Tema Oil Refinery, to explore areas of technical support for Ghana's oil industry. Mr Yasutoshi said Japan was also interested in bauxite exploration in Ghana.