Japan gives $6 million for rural electrification

Ghana and Japan on Friday exchanged notes for a six million-dollar grant to augment the rural electrification programme. Nyinahini and twenty-one other communities in the Ashanti Region would benefit from the Japanese grant.

Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who signed for Ghana, said it was government's passion to develop the rural areas in order to minimise the rural-urban drift.

"Power is a sine quo non for development. If life in the rural areas is improved, people would stay there."

He said Japan has already provided a lot of resources towards Ghana's rural electrification and the economy in general.

He said: "Japan donates more than any country towards our development efforts."

The Foreign Minister said Ghana in her small way has supported Japan on the international fora and through other meaningful yet silent measures. He said Ghana has attracted substantial financial resources from developed countries like Japan "in spite of earlier perception that our HIPC status might deprive us of donor funds and even loans"

Ms Kazuko Asai, Ambassador of Japan, said the oriental country shared Ghana's zeal to develop her rural economy. She said Japan remained committed to the economic and political aspirations of the country.

Mr Kwadwo Adjei Darko, Acting Minister of Energy, was present.