Accra, Dec. 16, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama, on Thursday, commended SGS-Social Security Bank for its tremendous support to the development of social-economic infrastructure and the growth of democracy in Ghana.

"I cannot forget your financial support that provided car loans for our Members of Parliament and your vital contribution to the purchase of the Falcon 900 Presidential Jet, which is now in use." Vice President Mahama said this, when a delegation of SGS-SSB International called on him at the Castle, Osu, to outline areas of cooperation in the coming years.

He said the pressure on government revenue was enormous and that partners like the SGS-SSB had helped to execute socio-economic projects in the country over the years.

The Vice President, who later held closed-door discussions with the delegation said, although Ghana was on the verge of becoming a middle income nation, there was a dire need to continue cooperating with other development partners to fully achieve those levels. "The status we are about to achieve demands partnership and cooperation for us to eliminate the high rate of child and maternal mortality, that was stifling the orderly progress of achieving the Millennium Development Goals on health and sanitation. He gave the assurance that government would continue to partner SGS-SSB to improve on the infrastructure of the country, such as roads, airports and railways, to improve on the transportation system in the country. "Ghana has a huge infrastructural deficit and it is only partners like SGS-SSB that can support us to increase on our current levels," he added. Mr Jean Louis Mattei, Head of SGS-International Relations gave the assurance that his outfit would continue to support Ghana, which had been "a real partner over the years".

"We know that agriculture is vital to every country and that is why we want to partner the government of Ghana in that sector to create food sufficiency as the years roll by."