Accra, July 18, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday defended the beneficiary list of districts selected for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) saying, the Government was right.

"The Government was deliberate in picking the 23 districts. It was not influenced by partisan politics; it was based on investing for quick returns, which could be spread across the entire nation," he said, when inaugurating the Millennium Development Authority Board at the Castle, Osu.

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister for Public Sector Reform, is Chairman of the 13-member Board, which includes Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Allan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector and PSI.

The rest are Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Ernest Akubour Debrah Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Augustine Adongo and Nana Owusu-Afari, representing Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF).

Other members of the Board are Dr Albert Tenga, representing Civil Society Organisations, Mr Hanan Gundadow, an assemblyman representing the northern zone, Mr Fredua Agyemang, an assemblyman representing the Afram Plains zone, Mrs Wilhemina Essie Vandyke-Owusu, an assemblywoman representing the southern zone, Mr Robert Hindle a representaive of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Mr Matthew Armah, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority (MDA). Ghana is set to receive 547 million dollars support from the United States after the signing of its MCA Compact fixed for August 1 in Washington DC, to modernize the country's agriculture.

The MCA is a US reward to Governments that rule justly, invest in their people and pursue policies that promote private sector-led growth. President Kufuor told the Board to be business-like and always hold in its view the national interest.

He gave the assurance that Government would be objective and refrain from interfering in the management of the fund. It would, however, not condone acts, which were not in keeping with transparency and best practices, he said, adding that, "If we should have cause, we would not hesitate to remove you."

President Kufuor said over the decades, successive Governments had dreamt of opening up the Afram Plains and other large stretches of land for agriculture but none succeeded.

He said as the country now stood on the verge of receiving the colossal amount of 547 million dollars, the prospects looked good and the entire nation was expectant to launch the project.

Dr Nduom said the responsibility of the Board was to understand the vision of the Government and the needs of the people to ensure that the Compact funds were put to profitable use.

He said Ghanaians had cause to rejoice over the fact that the country was considered to have made progress in recent years in the areas of governance, human development and economic opportunity. The Chairman of the Board recognized the personal attention paid by President Kufuor to the work of the MCA's Special Task Force, which negotiated the Compact and promised that the Board would work diligently and selflessly for the Project to benefit all Ghanaians. "The Compact we are to sign is timely. The funding is significant. We the Authority Board will see to it that the implementation is timely and the results significant," he said.