Ghana's natural resources to be transformed in next four years -Kufuor

Kumasi, Sept. 18, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday said the next four years would see more vigorous activity in the transformation of Ghana's natural resources into employment opportunities and wealth for Ghanaians. He expressed appreciation for the huge investments in the mining sector by foreign investors, adding, "We are on the verge of getting similar investments for bauxite, iron ore and manganese. New companies have started prospecting both on-shore and off-shore for oil and they are very optimistic". President Kufuor said this when he addressed the three-day National Annual Delegates Conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi.

He said the NPP government an off-shot of the Danquah-Busia tradition had an unshakable belief in the ability of the private sector to perform well and to generate wealth once the enabling atmosphere had been created through good governance and the rule of law as an essential ingredient. "Our opponents have embarked on a muck-raking exercise, throwing as much dirt as possible around in the hope some will stick. Some of them have been spending a lot of time and energy trying to find evidence of wrong doing that does not exist", he said.

President Kufuor said the Government had taken measures to ensure the implementation of its policy on zero tolerance for corruption. These he said were the new Procurement Law, the Internal Audit Act and the Office of Accountability that would support the traditional agencies like the Police, Judiciary, CHRAJ and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to fight corruption. "I do not claim to preside over 'a choir of angels' but I can say with certainty that there is far less corruption in the Government now than ever before", he said. President Kufuor said the NPP was very much aware that it was the inheritor of a tradition that stood for decency in public life, adding, "we regard this inheritance as a sacred trust and are determined to continue to build on it. The people of Ghana deserve no less".