Guinea Bissau’s Prime Minister, Domingos Simões Pereira, pledged the African nation would become a major destination within Africa for foreign investment, reported Portuguese news agency Lusa. The country’s economy is set to grow by 7 percent in 2018, Lusa added, quoting the P.M.

Mr Pereira made his remarks at the weekend as he attended a conference to outline his Administration’s achievements in the past year.

“Guinea Bissau will definitely… be a major destination of foreign investment in the African region,” he was quoted saying in the report. “But… we need to focus on the basics and not allow any distraction,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also said the nation’s economic growth would reach 5 percent by the end of this year, compared to a hike of 0.8 percent when the Government started its current term in office in July 2014.

He said he expected growth would reach 7 percent in 2018, the end of the Government’s current term.

According to a report released by the World Bank last month, Guinea Bissau’s economy is expected to grow by 4.2 percent this year before slowing to 3.9 percent and 4 percent in 2016 and 2017 respectively.