"It is encouraging that Barclays Bank is prepared to respond to suggestions made by the government and we are ready to have discussions with you," he said.

President Kufuor said this before he had closed-door discussions with a delegation from the Bank led by Mr Malcolm Hewitt, MD of Barclays Bank responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean, at the Castle, Osu.

Mr Hewitt said the delegation was in Accra to respond to suggestions made by the government to a previous delegation last March.

President Kufuor at a meeting with a delegation of the Bank's directors, who attended the first International Executive Committee Meeting in Accra, appealed to the Bank to cooperate with the government to establish an offshore banking company.

Mr David Roberts, executive director of the Board of Directors of Barclays Plc and Barclays Bank Plc, who led the delegation then, gave the assurance that the Bank would assist the government to establish offshore banking in Ghana.

Barclays Bank has assisted Mauritius to establish a successful offshore banking company.