Dialogue of misconceptions worrying - Ambassador Mamle Kofi
Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Mrs Helen Mamle Kofi, has said it is unfortunate that some media and social commentators speak on the status of the $3 billion loan agreement between Ghana and the China Development Bank (CBD) without having all the information.
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She stated that “this type of dialogue based on misconceptions will mar the cordial relations between Ghana and China that have existed for over 50 years”.
Ambassador Kofi was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Beijing to clarify some of the facts regarding the agreement between Ghana and the CBD.
She explained that to date Parliament had approved six out of the 12 subsidiary agreements under the Master Facility Agreement (MFA), while the remaining six were yet to be completed and approved.
The CBD had not reneged on its part of the agreement to provide the loan, as was being portrayed in the media, she stated.
The ambassador said donor financing was dwindling, especially from the traditional sources, and it was, therefore, important for Ghanaians to appreciate the efforts made by China to assist Ghana in the development of its infrastructure.
Commenting on the involvement of some Chinese in illegal gold mining, popularly known as "galamsey," Ambassador Kofi admitted the hazards that those activities were causing to the environment.
She, however, said the local partners teaming up with the Chinese to engage in illegal mining of gold were also to blame for the environmental hazards that occurred.
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The Chinese government was working with the Ghana government to ensure that that did not occur again, she added.
Ambassador Kofi appealed to Ghanaians to be patriotic, law- abiding and refrain from condoning illegal activities committed by some foreigners because of financial gain.
She also stated that most of the illegal miners did not take visas from the Ghana Embassy in Beijing to enter Ghana but were able to enter the country because they were issued visas on arrival, adding that Immigration officials had subsequently put measures in place to address that issue.