Accra, Switzerland Review Relations

A two-day meeting to review bilateral relations between Ghana and Switzerland began in Accra yesterday.

Discussions centred on budgetary support to Ghana's economy, especially the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) and private sector development.

Mr Michel Mordasini, Minister and Head of Operations, Development and Transition in Switzerland there is the need to have renewed and intensified relations as a result of the micro-economic development and stabilisation prevailing in the country.

He was speaking to newsmen after leading a three-man delegation attending the meeting to call on President J.A. Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

Mr Mordasini said Switzerland recognises Ghana's efforts towards national development and "in recognition of these efforts we had to review our relationship to address the constraints and achieve success."

Mrs Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance, said the budgetary support would be towards public financing systems, effective use of funds realised from the HIPC initiative and support for medium to long term capital support to the private sector instead of the existing short term loans by the financial institutions.

Dr Peter A. Schweizer, Swiss Ambassador in Ghana, said the meeting was to step up its programme of co-operation to Ghana in a more dynamic way because of the confidence Switzerland has in Ghana's fiscal and monetary policies.