Accra, Jan. 29, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, on Tuesday appealed to Australia to streamline the process Ghanaians go through in acquiring travelling visas to that country, in order to boost bilateral relations.

He described the process as cumbersome and said it was in the best interest of Ghana and Australia to get the anomaly resolved. Vice President Mahama made the appeal, when the out-going Australian High Commissioner, Mr Jonathan Richardson, called on him to bid him farewell. He noted that despite the long distance between the two countries, Ghanaians would like to visit Australia in order to boost trade and commerce.

Vice President Mahama commended Australia for investing in the mining, tourism and manufacturing sectors of the local economy and for pumping 400,000 dollars to support last year's flood victims in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. He asked Mr Richardson to be a Goodwill Ambassador of Ghana in order to woo investors. Mr Richardson expressed his commitment to deepen bilateral relations.