Japan provides $6.8m budget support for Ghana
Japan and Ghana on Tuesday signed the Multi-Donor Budget Support (MDBS) Programme for 2012 and the Sector Budget Support for the Health Sector grants agreement totaling $4.3 million and $2.5 million respectively.
Japanese Ambassador, Mr Naoto Nikai initialed for Japan while Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni initialed for Ghana.
The MDBS is an aid mechanism where 10 development partners including Japan provide financial resources to Ghana’s National budget in order to support government’s effort to implement Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) which focuses on sustaining macroeconomic stability, sound budgeting and Public financial management system, good governance and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Health Sector Budget Support on the other hand recognizes the financial challenges in the health Sector and contributes to a better implementation of the sector plans, such as the Health Sector Medium Term Development and the Health Sector Plan of Work 2012 for improved health delivery especially in achieving MDGs four and five.
Ambassador Nikai said Japan has been part of the MDBS since 2008 and had since continued to provide assistance through other mechanisms such as technical support and technical cooperation which aimed to assist Ghana in improving its institutional capacity.
“Japan is also focusing its effort on improving maternal and child health because the country was lagging behind MDGs four and five and it was therefore very important that all actors got involved and make every effort to achieve them.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Mumuni said Japan had steadfastly remained a true friend of Ghana and that was evidenced by the awards of numerous grants and financial as well as technical assistance in favour of the rapid socio economic development of Ghana.
He said government “interprets these gestures of the Japanese government as a manifestation of the strong bond of friendship and mutually beneficially cooperation that exists between the two countries” and gave the assurance that the grants would be judiciously utilized.
Source: GNA