The Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon. Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has commended volunteers of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for their contribution to Ghana’s development and the strong relationships they have built with communities across the country.
Addressing 32 JICA volunteers during a courtesy call at the Ministry of Finance, Hon. Nyarko Ampem expressed appreciation for their dedication and service on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
For the Deputy Minister, the 50 years of volunteer and impactful service of JICA in Ghana was worth commemorating in 2027 noting that, “JICA volunteers continue to remind and rekindle the spirit of volunteerism in Ghana by the demonstration of the importance of giving time and skills to support local communities’’.
He disclosed that government had prioritized the construction of the Volivo Bridge and was planning to facilitate the drawdown of funds to accelerate the project.
The project, he underscored, together with other road investments under governments Big Push programme, would improve transportation and shorten travel distances to parts of the northern Ghana
The JICA’s programme, he opined had impacted several beneficiaries including himself and recalled being taught Mathematics by a JICA volunteer as a child and noted that, “like me, many Ghanaians had benefited from the contribution of JICA volunteers over the years”.
JICA’s cooperation with Ghana dates to 1963, with the first batch of nine JICA volunteers arriving in Ghana on 17th August 1977. Since then, a total of 1,557 volunteers have served in various fields, including education, health and agriculture, providing technical assistance to institutions in Ghana, while over 4,700 Ghanaian officials have received training in Japan or third countries.The delegation included the Chief Representative of the JICA Ghana Office, Mr. Takayuki Uchiyama, and the Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Naoki Mitori.
According to the Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan, Naoki Mitori, the programme went beyond transferring Japanesse knowledge and expertise, as the volunteers also learnt from Ghanaian Culture, food, language and community experiences.
The visit provided an opportunity for the volunteers, serving in communities across eight regions of the country, to share their experiences and reflect on the relationships they have built with Ghanaians in the communities where they serve.
The event also included an impressive judo demonstration by members of the Ghana Judo Federation, highlighting the cultural and developmental exchanges that have defined the longstanding partnership between Ghana and Japan.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Finance – Republic of Ghana.
