Alhaji Malik Al-hassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior said the government is sincere in its drive to boost business.

"We want to establish genuine business and want Japanese businesses to take advantage of this," he said when Mr Noro Motoyoshi, Deputy Ambassador of Japan, called on him in Accra.

He said even though he is aware of Japan's reservation on the HIPC initiative, the government is determined to take the country out of it as quickly as possible through prudent economic management.

He admitted that nobody would like to be labelled poor. "That is the truth on the ground. The government's zero tolerance for corruption is part of the foundation being laid to come out of the HIPC status", he said, and asked Japan to help Ghana come out of that predicament.

On security, Alhaji Yakubu said the government wants to build an efficient security system to curb crime by strengthening institutions to maintain law and order.

Mr Motoyoshi said Japan would increase its grants, scholarships and technical assistance to Ghana