President Mills' State Visit to China ends

(From Benjamin Mensah , GNA Special Correspondent, Beijing, China) Beijing (China), Sept 24, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday rounded off his State Visit to China with a call on Ghanaian Ministers of State and other stakeholders in national development to implement with despatch and transparency the numerous programmes for which China is giving Ghana assistance.

He particularly charged Ministers of State to ensure that the resources and assistance made available from China are utilised to the national benefit so that Ghana becomes a shining example for the Chinese to go to the aid of other African countries. Addressing the Ghanaian community in China at the Chancery in Beijing, President Mills cautioned that there was no room for failure, but that they should embrace hardwork, integrity and discipline in carrying out national projects to justify the confidence China had reposed in Ghana.

President Mills said the Chinese had been more than generous to Ghana not because of any speciality, but that they were making a point to use their resources to propel Ghana's development. Close to about $30 billion dollars development package is to be made available by the Chinese Government to Ghana as a result of the visit during which President Mills, accompanied by a delegation of Ministers of State, business people and entrepreneurs , held bilateral discussion with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, and struck a number of investment deals .

Out of the trip, agreements on loans and technical assistance and Memoranda of Understanding were reached with both the public and private institutions for investments into the energy and allied sectors; road and rail transportation; the bauxite and aluminium industry; Information Communication Technology, as well as the construction of two regional hospitals in Kumasi and Wa.

President Mills reminded business people to maintain a good reputation among investors by ensuring transparency, adding that their conduct would determine how the policy of their assistance would be. He called on the business people to award contracts to people who would deliver and not those who will promise to deliver. He cautioned against favouritism, which would not bring any results but failure, and called rather for goodwill, discipline, sacrifice and hard work to realise the ideals of Government's programme of better lives and prosperity for all in the Government's Better Ghana Agenda. Award of contracts, the President warned, should be devoid of any colours, but ability to deliver.

President Mills cautioned against unnecessary fronting, and urged the Ministers and the business people to create a free and fair environment to attract and maintain investors.

He advised Ghanaians in China to continue to be law-abiding and to channel all issues concerning their stay and business through the Ghana Ambassador to China, in a co-ordinated manner. President Mills later visited the New Poly Plaza, offices of the Poly Plaza Group, which is constructing four submarines for the Ghana Navy.

Mr Shang Lianshang, President of the Group, announced that he would lead a delegation to Ghana before the end of the year. Meanwhile , President Mills is due back in Ghana this weekend to take part in the national population and housing census. 24 Sept 10