DFID to review its yearly grant to Ghana

The Department for International Development of Britain is to review its yearly grant of 100 million dollars to Ghana, Mr Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary of the DFID said in Accra on Thursday.

He said, " after a series of meetings with some of the Ministers of State and the way forward, there is a lot of positive things that could be done and it is feasible to increase the yearly grant of 100 million dollars offered to Ghana".

Mr Chakrabati who is on a two-day visit to Ghana, made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu. President Kufuor said, "he was hopeful the meetings Mr Chakrabati had with some Ministers of State would provide positive response to government policies and programmes".

The Permanent Secretary's visit to Ghana was to check on the organisation's HIV/AIDS awareness programme for truck drivers.

He also held meetings with Ministers of State, development partners and the business community The DFID provided assistance to promote activities in the private sector and on good governance, health, education and rural development.

The High Commission in Accra, in a statement said Suma Chakrabarti became Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development on February 18, this year.

After spending two years in Botswana on an Overseas Development Institute Fellowship, Suma Chakrabarti joined the Overseas Development Administration in 1984 as a senior economic assistant, providing advice on macro-economic issues and UK Aid Projects.

In the late 1980s, he went as part of the UK Delegation to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington as the Executive Director's Assistant.

Suma then returned to England and the Overseas Development Agency (ODA) holding various roles, including Private Secretary to Lady Chalker and later Head of Aid Policy and Resources Department.

He moved to the Treasury in 1996, where he held a number of key posts.