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Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah has hailed the Akufo-Addo government for approving the Agyapa Royalties deal.

The Agyapa Royalties deal was approved in Parliament to allow the country to float its minerals' shares to maximize the mining sector.

Agyapa Royalties Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle, is in charge of the deal and it is to list it on the Ghana and London Stock Exchange markets to raise funds to the tune of about $1 billion.

The money is to be used to enhance Ghana's infrastructure development as well as create jobs to resolve the unemployment situation of the economy.

However, the Minority in Parliament and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have opposed the deal.

They claim the deal is shrouded in secrecy and also suspect acts of corruption.

NDC Presidential candidate, John Mahama has also indicated he will scrap the deal when he comes back to power.

Touching on the issue, the Regional Minister touted the Agyapa Royalties deal as one of the best initiatives taken by the incumbent government.

To him, Ghanaians should not pay attention to the naysayers because there nothing corruptible about the minerals' deal.

He described the idea to float the shares as brilliant stressing there will be an equity distribution of the mineral proceeds which means the Government of Ghana and investors will equally share the proceeds which will be win-win situation for the two parties.

According to him, contrary to the opposing views, the deal will rather help to develop the nation in many ways.

He cited the construction of roads, infrastructure and other development projects that will innure to the benefit of Ghanaians as a few of the good things to come as a result of the Agyapa deal.

He further stated that Ghana will have no reason to borrow again because there minerals' proceeds will be enough to undertake its own development projects without foreign assistance.

He therefore urged Ghanaians to give their full support behind the government.

''We cannot rely on loans forever because if care is not taken, it will reach a point where the interest payments alone will consume our annual revenues. So, you have to think outside the box and do this deal . . . we cannot keep only borrowing . . . .as source of funding for government projects and government activities. We have to think outside the box," he said on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'.