The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has for the past five years received a total of 200 million dollars direct investments, Dr Ofori Quaah, Acting Chief Executive said in Tema on Monday.

The investments include the exploration of oil along the coast of Ghana by large international oil companies, Dr Quaah told Capt. Nkrabea Effah-Darteh (RTD), Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development who paid a visit to the corporation.

He said GNPC has no expatriate staff, indicating that besides the capital investments, it has also obtained effective transfer to Ghana, appropriate technology relating to petroleum operations.

Dr Quaah said notwithstanding these laudable achievements, GNPC has in the recent past received a lot of bad publicity, which has also given a new experience to the corporation.

"In our efforts to chart a new course, we need the support of the media and we will open our doors to them for them to know, in a transparent manner, whatever we are doing in the oil industry".

Dr Quaah said the corporation is currently going through a new structural programme from which, it is hoped, would come out a new GNPC that would continue to bring in more investors to develop Ghana's oil industry.

Capt. Effah-Darteh, accompanied by Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive and Directors of his Ministry said GNPC should continue to support the Municipal Assembly through the payment of property rates to increase the assembly's revenue.

He visited the Volta Aluminium Company, Cocoa Processing Company, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and First Battalion of Infantry (Michel Camp).