Winneba (Central Region) 27 April ?99

Mr Mike Hammah, deputy Minister of Roads and Transport has urged Ghanaians not to consider investment promotion trips undertaken by President Jerry John Rawlings, as a waste on the national economy.

"We should rather pray hard for God's continued protection and guidance for the President to initiate more of such useful contacts outside the shores of Ghana to attract more investors", he said.

Mr Hammah, MP for Effutu, was addressing the first session of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya district assembly at Winneba on Monday.

He explained that the President's personal involvement in investment promotion activities abroad have no doubt started yielding fruitful results.

"As the world enters the next millennium global trading and marketing activities have become highly competitive, a situation that demands that leaders show a high sense of initiative".

The MP said it was therefore unreasonable and totally unacceptable for any one to play politics with the efforts being made by the President.

Mr Hammah explained that the President's direct contacts with foreign investors in the United States, United kingdom, Germany, France and other developed nations have given the investors a clear picture of business conditions in Ghana.

Ghanaians, irrespective of their political stand, should co-operate with the government and help to create the congenial climate to woo foreign investors, he said. He urged district assemblies to play their part by assisting investors in land acquisition.

Mr. Hammah was not happy at the difficulties which prospective investors go through before acquiring land for their businesses and called for the removal of what he described as "unnecessary administrative blocks" in the system to ensure the smooth operation of the various organisations.

"If we fail to accept them to operate in our country, they have every right to go to either Togo or Ivory Coast".